Desired Sins
by solitaryloner
Summary: For Len Kagamine, top spy in the government force, work is always his first priority. To him, love and lust are nothing but unnecessary distractions. When he is sent to investigate a nightclub for evidence of a notorious French crime ring, he thinks it's nothing but another easy job - until he realises, even he is unable to resist the allure of the club's star performer. LenXMiku.
1. Chapter 1

_**Solitaryloner: **Okay, for the people who know the real deal behind my hiatus, yes, I got my phone back. I can update again! For those who don't know why I'm suddenly updating before November, let's just say that my incentive to go on hiatus is gone. But updates will be slow. I still have to study for my exams, mind you._

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_Oh, so you want to go inside Tentation, do you? I've seen your kind around, more times than I care to recall. Young. Proud. Ambitious. You're all curious, wanting to know of things that you shouldn't...very well. I can show you the way there. For a price. Always, always a price..._

_But keep in mind, young one, about what others say about the place. Have you ever wondered what Tentation means? It's French for Temptation. Apt name, if you think about it. Remember, you don't want to fall prey to what Tentation is named for. It's easy to get inside. Getting out is a different matter._

The words of the old man ran around Len Kagamine's mind, over and over again. The warning...running around in endless circles that he couldn't seem to break free from. Len sucked in air through his gritted teeth, making a sound that was halfway between a hiss and a gasp. The warning kept reverberating in his head, and it was frustrating him beyond belief.

Honestly, it hadn't been the first time he had heard a warning of that sort. Len knew the dangers, and he was prepared for such things. But the steely determination he had seen in the old man's eyes, as he repeated his warning, stuck with Len. It was as though the old man...feared for him. But feared what, exactly?

_Tentation, hm? _Looking around, he failed to see anything which could particularly endear him to this dingy place. The lighting was bad, the acrid stench of smoke hung thick in the air, and the purring sounds the women seated beside him were making were greatly distracting him from his job. He wasn't here to have fun, unlike what so many of the other clientèle were doing.

Were it not for the fact that rejecting the two nightclub hostesses would have drawn attention to himself and made him stand out, which was something he was trying hard not to do, he would have politely turned down their offer of companionship. Len Kagamine was not interested in women of any sort.

It didn't mean that he was asexual, or that he was interested in men. He liked women, he really did. But no woman wanted to enter a steady relationship with him, because Len always put his work before everything else. Even before his own love life. All of which could greatly damage a woman's fragile self-esteem...or, that was what he had heard.

He didn't actually care about whether he had a girlfriend or not, for his foremost love was still his career. As an international super spy who spent the majority of his time spying for the government, he didn't exactly have a lot of time to devote to affairs of the heart. Which was rather unfortunate for these two hostesses.

''So, you're here alone, Mister Kagamine?'' the one on his right purred, letting her slender hands trail slowly down his chest. An attempt to get him interested in her, he could tell. Len gently took hold of her wandering hand and slid it off, hoping that he wouldn't hurt her feelings. He didn't have the time to handle an upset woman - he was here on business.

''Do you have a girlfriend, perhaps?'' the other one, seated on his left, chimed in playfully. Her eyes danced with mirth, and with more than casual interest, as she regarded him closely. Len silently thanked God that she didn't appear to be as forward as her companion was. Being groped by women was not a sensation which he particularly enjoyed. But being groped did happen rather frequently, however.

''No, no girlfriend,'' he said the truth, not bothering to lie to them about that. ''But I'm not here for that,'' he added, a stern warning layering his voice. ''I'm here to unwind after work, and love is the last thing on my mind,'' his lips tilted up into a crooked smirk. Now, _that _had been the truth. Love had never taken a very high place on his list of priorities.

No, his work always came first. His sister, Rin Kagamine, had always teased him about being married to his job. Rin had told Len before, on more than one occasion, that if his career ever came up to him wearing a dress and a wig, Len would probably drop everything and marry it. Len couldn't say that he would disagree with that. He did find his work very important.

The two hostesses visibly sulked, and his smirk widened. ''Ah, but we can be friends, can we not?'' he asked slyly. ''A toast to our own good health,'' he held out his wineglass, watching the amber liquid swirl within, and the hostesses reluctantly touched their own glasses to his own. He raised the wineglass to his lips, taking a careful, measured sip of the amber liquid.

He thought that he was doing a fairly good job of pretending that he belonged here. He was unused to spending time in nightclubs - his line of work didn't usually allow him to spend that much time in...these kind of areas. The last time he had infiltrated these type of dingy, underground places had been when he had first started out in his career as a government spy.

Nowadays, the cases he was sent to work on usually involved several heads of different countries, and a lot of dressing up. What with all the high-ranking officials he was paid to keep an eye out for, overly ostentatious state banquets had been common, and he had needed to learn how to blend in with the high-born. With the rich, the powerful, the privileged.

Things were so different at the top. Now, he was here again. Back at where everything had started - in a dingy little nightclub. But this was different. This was an important case, even if the settings he was currently in indicated otherwise. If he was too lax about his job, he would be throwing the entire country into a state of panic and fear. He had to keep calm.

As he drank from his glass, his eyes darted from side to side, keeping watch for any signs of suspicious activity. The atmosphere felt heavy and loaded - everyone around was whispering, talking, like they were waiting for something to happen. Something major. Len's eyes were, once again, distracted by the iron pole that dominated the catwalk-like stage.

''What's got everyone so riled up?'' he asked aloud, wondering. The two nightclub hostesses glanced at him, apparently having already forgotten his rejection. They both blinked at his words, evidently startled by what he had just said. Len swallowed, hoping that he had not just let slip that he was not a frequent customer.

''The performance later,'' the hostess on his right said, the one who was more aggressive than her companion. ''You know, the one that our nightclub is named for? You should know,'' she added, her scarlet lips tilting into a knowing smirk. ''If it were not for this act, then this nightclub wouldn't be drawing the crowds that it does, every night,'' she said dismissively.

He nodded at her words, retreating once more into his own private world as he sipped at his glass some more. A separate part of his mind noted that this was a fine wine - he would be sure to order some for his sister. Rin was a connoisseur of good wines, and he knew that she would appreciate the richness of this one. The taste reminded him of warm honey.

A performance, then? That would explain the crowds. He had been wondering why this club was always so packed, night after night, despite the less than stellar surroundings. Though it did make him curious about what sort of performance it had to be, in order to attract such a strong audience each time. The club, despite its poor lighting and remote location, was completely full every single night.

In fact, this club was so wildly popular that there was a waiting list just to get inside the damn place. When he had first discovered that, he had been rather startled, wondering what manner of place it had to be in order to be so welcomed. With some pulling of strings, he had bypassed the waiting list, and now that he was inside, he still failed to see whatever it was that was so impressive about Tentation.

Perhaps all that would change, once he saw the performance. So far, the night's entertainment had consisted of nothing but a few amateur singers. And calling them amateur was a rather large stretch - Len's eardrums had almost shattered at their screeching, and he had wondered whether he would be able to listen to music without flinching, ever again.

The nightclub scene was not one he particularly enjoyed. After all, there was nothing that called out to him here, not like the grand, glittering decadence and elegance of global conferences. He preferred to observe international ties and meetings, and to spy on state enemies. This was...demeaning, in a way. That he, the best spy in the country, was stuck with this.

But it was for the good of the country. He felt his lips twist into a scowl - he had to keep in mind that he was here for the greater good, and not for the luxurious comforts that came with being hosted in the best hotels, and attending international conferences. He couldn't keep doing only that, naturally - there were other matters that he was expected to keep a look out for. Other than transnational ones.

Still, returning to blending in with the common crowds, after years of mingling with the powerful and the wealthy, stung a lot. At his current age of twenty-six, he had risen quickly through the corporate ladder. What had started out as spying on local crime rings had quickly become something bigger, and soon the government had been calling on his services to do bigger things. Not local, not regional...

International. He was a spy so skilled that, in return for favours, his services were offered across the world. He was known for discretion, and for always managing to obtain the correct information. He could discover plots to assassinate, to conquer and divide, even before the government themselves could. And for his stealth and skill, he was immensely valued.

Now, he was watching this nightclub, for the government had received an anonymous tip off about the place. It was said that apparently, this nightclub was founded as a front for an transnational French crime ring, the equivalent to the French Mafia, to carry out some of their less important illegal activities. Money laundering and such being some of them. So Len was here to evaluate that claim.

It wasn't so much the money laundering business that worried the government so. Petty crimes didn't worry them as much as the possibility that the legendary French Mafia would be settling down around these parts. After all, there were plenty of other criminals doing the same. But this was the French Mafia. They were carrying out money laundering now. God knew what else they would do, as time went by and they became bolder.

As of far, nothing seemed too suspicious. But he wasn't exactly surprised by that. It wasn't as though the Mafia would be carrying out their businesses out in the club, right for everyone to see. Idly, he wondered how many of the club's employees knew that their bosses were far from clean. If the tip off happened to be real, and not some wild goose chase, of course.

At that moment, the already dim lights dimmed further, and Len blinked, jerking up in his plush velvet seat. The ice cubes in his wineglass clinked as they hit the sides of the now empty glass. The two hostesses pulled him back down so that he once again reclined in his seat, telling him not to worry in soothing voices. Len forced himself to relax, though he disliked this.

Change was usually an indicator of something soon to happen. Whether this was a good or bad change, he could not be sure at this point. His eyes were drawn to the stage, which was relatively well lit in comparison to the rest of the place. The murmurs and whispers around him grew louder, making the fine hairs on the back of his neck rise. In trepidation?

''The show is about to start,'' one of the two hostesses murmured, watching him out of the corner of her eyes. ''Don't be so worked up, Mister Kagamine. You said you wanted to unwind after working, yes? Then do that. Drink more wine,'' she poured out another glass for him. ''It will help you to relax, like you wish.''

Gratefully, he took the glass, inclining his head in thanks. Her dark eyes never left his as he raised the glass to his lips, and he suppressed a satisfied smile. Despite being more interested in his work than in women and relationships, the fact that he was able to attract women without even trying was still largely pleasing.

Mist curled off the sides of the stage, and Len felt his lips curl into a grimace. How showy. If the club could afford to put so much money into special effects, then surely it shouldn't have been too much of a bother to renovate the place. Not that the club needed to be renovated in order to attract more customers, but at least investing in better lighting would be a bonus.

A dark figure approached through the mist, and Len watched as he swirled his glass around. He had been lucky enough to get a seat close to the stage, and now he stared unabashedly as he wondered what on earth was going to happen. It had been a long time since he had last done anything entertaining, and he was looking forward to seeing how this run-down little club managed to retain its customers each night.

A slender hand wrapped around the iron pole, and as the mists cleared, Len caught sight of an exquisitely beautiful girl standing in the centre of the stage, next to the pole. With her hips cocked to one side, her other hand tapping lightly against her waist, Len couldn't help but stare. He had seen no shortage of beautiful women before, but this...was a whole new game. With extremely different rules.

Her long, waist length hair was tied up into two ponytails, and her gaze searched the audience, skimming disinterestedly over each one of them. Her eyes were icy cold, and they were the same shade of green as hellebore leaves. She was dressed in a men's button-down shirt, with the ends tied just under her ribs, and a short black skirt which barely covered her upper thighs. It all left little to the imagination.

At her appearance, the crowd became even more enthusiastic, and as their cheers crescendoed in volume, the teal haired beauty's lips tilted marginally into a cool smile. Slowly, temptingly, she ran her finger down one side of her slender waist, bringing to mind images of heated nights and passionate kisses, of whispered love and senseless promises -

Len stopped his trail of thought. Though he couldn't deny that she was a startlingly lovely girl. In her mid twenties, perhaps? Her delicate features, coupled with that icy cold look of indifference, made him wonder how much of a challenge she would be to conquer. She looked like an ice queen, trapped in the body of an fairy princess. And he wasn't sure which persona he would prefer. Both seemed interesting.

But no. He was here for work, and not for pleasure. He hadn't taken a woman to bed for years, instead devoting his time and energy to his spying efforts. It was just another girl, and he wasn't going to let a mere woman distract him from what he had set out to do. He was, after all, better than that. He was a professional - he would not allow himself to be distracted by, or ruled by, his rampant hormones.

He was not a little boy, stunned by the appearance of a beautiful woman. He was an adult, and he was no virgin. So he was going to stop being so distracted by her. Sure, he could enjoy whatever performance she was going to put up, but he would not allow any other detail to escape his notice. His top objective in being here was to look out for suspicious activity.

Yes, suspicious activities which would link this place back to the notorious crime ring. He was not here to ogle at pretty women. Leaning back in his seat, he radiated lazy appreciation, like how the rest of the patrons were - at the same time, his gaze travelled the scene, eyes always carefully looking for signs of criminal behaviour. All he needed was a suspicious character. A furtive exchange. Anything abnormal.

The music playing changed, from something upbeat and energetic to something more...primal. Dark. It was the rhythm of the hunt, the constant pounding beat of sex. Len reclined in his seat, his attention unwillingly drawn to whatever was happening on stage. The girl met his gaze, and something sparked as she stared at him - her green eyes narrowed, then she shot him a brief smile. He returned the smile.

Their gazes held, and Len found that he was unable to look away from her. Suddenly, he felt like her audience had changed. Earlier, she had been watching all the people in the club, but now, the way she was staring at him, he felt as though she was performing for him...and for him alone. He shivered at the thought, thinking of that one moment of instantaneous attraction he had felt, upon setting eyes on her.

Teal hair. He had never seen anyone with teal hair before, and the blue green shade of that silken mass made him wonder what it would feel like to his touch. Would it be soft against his fingertips? The thought made him wince - he was getting distracted again, and that was bad. This girl was bad for his mission and his objectives...she wasn't good for him, in general. He could tell, by the way she stared at him.

She was a hungry lioness, waiting to pounce on an unsuspecting deer. Maybe it was that wild, unbridled sense of danger that he felt, as he watched her move, that attracted him so. It was the first time he had come across a woman whose very presence was able to trigger wariness in him. A rather strange feeling that his life was possibly in mortal danger.

And, fool that he was, he had always been a sucker for danger. The cases he had relished had always been the ones that had some element of danger to it. Cases where there had been a very real chance he would be killed. Or at least tortured. It made sense that he would seek that same sense of danger in his women. Not that he would have known before this - he had never feared a woman before.

This one looked like she would tear his throat out as soon as kiss him. And that was very interesting...to him, at least. A perfect, archetypal ice queen - ah. He had always liked the ice queens the best. They were cold. They were cruel and sadistic. They made him beg for more. But he was getting distracted again. He made himself focus on what she was doing, instead. _Get your mind out of the gutter._

Then he wished he had chosen to remain in his thoughts. The girl was stripping, slowly but surely, ignoring the calls for her to hurry up. Her slender fingers flicked each button through each hole, and he couldn't help but sit and watch, mesmerised by her actions. She was sexy, his starved libido couldn't deny that. And even though Len preferred his job to women, it didn't mean he didn't react to a tempting woman.

She slid her arms through the shirt sleeves, then carelessly, she threw it into the crowd. The whole time, her expression had been distant and unemotional, and she didn't seem to care about the sudden scuffle which had broken out, as people dove and fought to claim that shirt. Her eyes flickered to meet his again, and once more her pink lips tilted up into a cold smile.

Honestly, he had no idea why she appeared to be paying him so much attention. Perhaps it was his stunning good looks - he knew he was handsome, and he had never made it a point to be humble about that knowledge. But if that was really the case, he didn't know whether he ought to curse or to be happy. Sure, he was attracting her attention - but wasn't drawing attention one thing he had wished to avoid?

Shakily, he ran his fingers through his blond hair, which was twisted into his usual ponytail. Judging by the almost imperceptible widening of her cool smile, she had seen his fingers trembling as he slid his hand down, smoothing his slightly too long bangs out of his eyes. Steely resolve took the place of uncertainty, and he straightened - he would not allow her to see him as weak. He was far from that.

She raised her eyebrows at him, then let her fingers walk down her stomach to the waistband of her skirt. He didn't know whether to be happy or not, that he had one of the front seats - it was because he was so damn near the stage that she could torture him, to begin with. It was because of this that she could notice him, and he somehow had the feeling that this torturous little act was just for him.

There was a tattoo of a butterfly on her right hip, he noticed. Black, streaked through with lines of purple, the tattoo was almost alive, even this distance away from the stage. He wondered what it would be like to touch that tattoo - it looked so real that he thought, if he were to brush his fingers against her skin, the butterfly might come to life and fly away.

Not that he was fantasising about touching her, of course. He was merely making an observation about her - his mouth dried up, and his thoughts ran to a halt as she stepped out of her skirt. She was dressed in a matching set of black lacy underwear, and the black bra and panties did little to cover her up. The one thought that overtook everything else was how very much he wanted to touch her, then.

She smiled once more, that icy cold smile which didn't reach her eyes. Then carefully, she aimed, and threw the skirt right at him. Reflexively, his hands shot up, and Len caught the skirt. The short black skirt was little more than wisps of silk and lace, and quickly he held it up to his nose. The fragrance of some perfume hit his senses, and he found himself inhaling deeply. It smelled good, and the scent matched her.

This time, the secretive little smile she sent his way seemed rather triumphant, and he realised with a jolt that it would seem as though he had given in to her superiority. Theirs had been a clash of wills, and it looked as though he had just conceded defeat to her. His eyes hardened at the thought, and he set the skirt aside - he would show her that this was not the case.

He couldn't tell whether the look in her eyes was one of approval or disapproval - all he knew was that, the moment she began to dance, sliding herself erotically around the pole, all thoughts of competition instantly disappeared. Unable to take his eyes off the delicate, contradictory ice queen, he gave his surroundings no single thought, not turning away from her act for even one tiny moment.

_So this is why this club has been dubbed Tentation. It's because of her. If there was one single thing that is tempting in this club, it has to be her. She is temptation in itself. _That thought ran itself through his head even after she stepped off the stage, her performance having been seen through. He didn't even regret that he hadn't been on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary - he couldn't regret this.

The dance, the whole episode, the cold smile on her face - it had all been worth it. He turned to look at one of his companion hostesses, who seemed as though she had just awoken from a deep trance. ''Who was that?'' he asked, voice sleepy sounding. He frowned, and tried to sound more assertive. ''The striptease, the pole dancer. What is her name? Who is she?''

''Miku Hatsune,'' the hostess replied, sounding faintly unfocused. He wondered if she had been as greatly affected by the performance as he had been. ''She's the star here. Everyone dotes on her, even though she keeps to herself. She is what gives Tentation its name. She's the temptation which reins everyone here, every night. She is the lure who keeps people coming back, unable to escape from this place.''

Len nodded, sinking back into his seat. Thoughtfully, he sipped at the glass of wine his hostesses had kindly refilled for him again. Miku Hatsune, he mused. She seemed like an impenetrable ice queen, but even the coldest ice princess had some kind of weakness. And from what he had seen so far, she seemed to notice him. Perhaps he could use that to his advantage - for him, interest was never a bad thing.

If Miku Hatsune was so valued in this enterprise, it was entirely possible that she knew what her superiors were up to. Perhaps Len could use her as a way to find out more about the club. Were the people who ran it nothing more than simple entrepreneurs? Or were they something far more sinister than that? This little dancer could be the lead for everything which he needed to know.

Unbidden, Rin's words floated through his mind - words that he had thought long forgotten. _You can't just focus on your work forever, Len. Even you are merely human, and all of us will fall prey to lust and love. One day, you're going to meet someone special. You're going to meet a girl who will make you yearn for her body and her touch, and that will force you to choose between her...and your career._

He held back a snort at the memory of those words. He had yet to find a girl he was willing to give up his job for. And he doubted he would find her in this ice queen. Ice queens were good to toy around with, as the process of smashing their walls was always fun - but to settle down with one? No. Len wasn't masochistic, though he did enjoy begging ice queens for more. More bitter-sweet pain, more twisted pleasure.

He would use this latest frigid girl to find out what he needed to know. And if he could get her into bed while he was at it...well, all the better for him. She was tempting, and he wanted her - even though he hadn't bedded a woman in years. He couldn't deny that seeing the erotic dance she had put up earlier had...greatly tempted him. Had made him crave for more than she was showing, at that very moment.

But whether or not he could get past her defences wasn't important. What was important was his job. Work always would come first.


	2. Chapter 2

_Ah, damn. _Len silently cursed to himself as he noticed the green haired man, standing next to the door that led backstage, to the performers' quarters. He had forgotten all about the bouncers, who always guarded the backstage.

In order to go backstage, he knew that he was going to have to get some kind of distraction. Or, at the very least, a believable excuse to want to go backstage. He cast the rest of the nightclub a critical eye - was there anything he could use, to enable him access backstage?

His gaze fell upon one of the performers, who had come out before Miku Hatsune had. One of the dancer girls. She was mingling with the rest of the nightclub's patrons, laughing and posing seductively for a group of slack jawed men. Now, Len didn't particularly care for her many attempts at being sultry, but he knew that he had found the solution to his little problem.

Looking deceptively casual, Len sidled closer to the dancer, watching the way she flipped her ash blond hair about, blinking her large, baby blue eyes. He felt a brief flicker of appreciation for her obvious beauty, but the flicker passed, and he had returned to his businesslike mood. Circling the little group carefully, he waited patiently for an opening to appear.

Once one did, he seized his chance, sliding into the group of men surrounding the dancer. The other men readily let him in, not paying him any attention, and Len fought his way through the group of salivating men, in order to be able to talk to the dancer. Some men cursed softly as Len elbowed them in their chests, pushing them aside, but he didn't stop to apologise.

When he had finally managed to fight his way to the front, the blond woman - who was seated at the bar, effectively enclosed by the men around her - shot him a lazy stare. Raising a glass of tequila to her lips, she downed the shot in one gulp, before she glanced briefly back up at him, regarding him with a critical eye. ''Well, hello there, handsome,'' she drawled languidly. ''Who are you, and what do you want from me?''

Len opened his mouth, but before he could say what he had wanted to, the blonde cut across him. ''Before you say anything, could you buy me another drink? My tequila is all gone, and I'm still feeling rather thirsty,'' she shot him a winning smile. Len sighed and rolled his eyes, knowing that if he didn't buy her the damn drink, he wouldn't even have a chance to speak to her. He knew plenty of women like this.

''Give me one Bloody Mary, on the rocks,'' he told the nearby bartender, who nodded and went to prepare the alcoholic drink. The woman blinked at him, looking faintly startled by his choice of beverage. Len smirked a little, satisfied.

''That's my favourite drink,'' she said hesitantly. The other men surrounding her all shot him possessive glares, but Len ignored them, instead staring at her intently. She seemed to understand that he wasn't here to salivate all over her, not like the other men, and instantly she dropped her bimbo facade. ''Leave us alone,'' she commanded, waving her hand.

Sulkily, the men drifted away from her, leaving her and Len alone. The woman accepted the Bloody Mary from the bartender, staring at him suspiciously, and Len just sat next to her, waiting for her to speak first. Finally, she parted her lips to talk. ''My name is SeeU,'' she said tersely. ''I assume you're not a regular here - I've never seen you around before.''

''I'm not a regular here,'' Len agreed placidly. ''But I needed to talk to you. I require a little...favour. From one of the performers...or the cast...or whoever. And from what I can see,'' he cast the rest of the nightclub a disinterested glance, ''you're the only one who seems to be available right now. So I came to you.''

SeeU arched an eyebrow, sipping elegantly at her glass of alcohol. Now that she was no longer surrounded by all those lustful men, her demeanour appeared to have changed - earlier, she had been a sultry temptress, silly but hot. Like how most men liked them. Brainless, but sexy. Now, her attitude was different - she seemed more refined. Elegant and sure. Len could sense the sharp intelligence sparking beneath that beautiful, classy surface.

''Well, what's your name, then? And what favour do you seek from me?'' she asked, still sipping at her Bloody Mary. She eyed him, her face expressionless, and Len somehow received the feeling that she was sizing him up. ''And how did you know that my favourite drink is a Bloody Mary?'' she added, almost like an afterthought. ''I'm sure that your choice wasn't merely a simple coincidence...was it, Mister?''

''I observed you. You don't like tequila much, though you drank it because the men bought it for you,'' Len gestured towards her empty tequila glass, and surprise flickered through her blue eyes. ''You seemed to prefer the Bloody Mary, given the way your eyes kept flicking over to that other patron, over there,'' Len tilted his head in the direction of another woman, who was holding the aforementioned drink.

''Ah. You're an observant one, Mister,'' SeeU said thoughtfully. ''I can assume that you're not like...most of the patrons here, then,'' she wrinkled her perfect nose in disdain. ''What do you want me to help you with? Whether I agree or not will depend, naturally, on what you need help with. Oh, and you still have yet to tell me what is your name,'' she reminded him.

Len wondered whether he ought to use his real name, then decided not to. It would be better to use his current agent name, just in case this SeeU happened to work for that French crime ring. ''My name is Ren Haine,'' Len said, the lie slipping easily from between his teeth. ''And...well, I want to go backstage. To where all the performers' quarters are. So I need help.''

''I see,'' she said softly, staring down into her Bloody Mary. Her blue eyes flicked up to meet his, looking suspicious. ''And may I ask, what is the reason why you want to go backstage, Mister Haine...?'' she swirled her glass around, the red alcohol in her glass swirling along with it. Len stared at the glass, suddenly feeling an intense urge to drink some alcohol as well.

''I want to speak to one of the performers,'' he said truthfully. There was no need to lie about that, after all. ''Because I...well, I just really want to talk to her,'' he ended delicately, letting SeeU come to her own conclusion. The blonde nodded, a knowing glint in her eyes, and he hoped that she wouldn't probe too much. SeeU wasn't as big a ditz as she appeared to be.

''Can I safely assume that you want to speak to Miku Hatsune?'' SeeU asked, and Len stiffened. He wondered whether it was because it was that obvious, or whether it was just because everyone always tried to seek out the beautiful ice queen. Judging from SeeU's amused chuckle, it was more of the latter. ''Oh, don't worry about that, Mister Haine. We're all used to the people asking after Miku. She's really popular here.''

''Well, I want to talk to Miss Hatsune, that's true,'' Len admitted, letting a slight hint of sheepishness seep into his words. If there was one thing he was good at, it was acting. Pretending that he was something he was not, so that people would let down their guard around him, and accidentally reveal more secrets. ''Could that possibly be arranged?''

''Why can't you just go backstage yourself...ah, I see,'' SeeU glanced in the direction of the backstage door, noticing the bouncer there. ''I forget,'' she wrinkled her nose. ''Looks like Gumo is on bouncer duty tonight. Lucky thing you didn't approach him straight away - he hates being on bouncer duty, and he can be an awful grump when he's forced to do it.''

''What do I do, then?'' Len asked, slowly easing SeeU into the subject of getting him past the bouncer. He knew what was about to come - he just needed to persuade the blonde into agreeing to accompany him there. SeeU sighed, setting down her empty glass - she had already finished off her Bloody Mary, and now, she snapped her fingers, ordering another one.

''Well, I can escort you backstage, and show you the way to Miku's room. In return for a fee, of course,'' SeeU's gaze turned sly. ''No one ever does things without some form of reward, in return.'' Len nodded, then reached into the pocket of his jacket. He drew several fifty Euro bills, handing them over to the blonde. She took them, regarding the notes critically - checking if they were real or fake, he could tell.

Len always carried some Euro bills around. Despite the current weak state of the Euro, it was still a good currency to keep, and Len always used the Euro whenever it came to bribery and payment. He had passed to the dancer two hundred Euro, which Len considered more than enough for this tiny favour. Not that he cared, since money meant little to him - he always had too much money to burn.

Finally, SeeU nodded, satisfied. ''Come on. I'll show you the way,'' she hopped off her bar stool, and Len followed after her, making his way across the floor of the nightclub, to the entrance of the performers' quarters. As they walked, SeeU spoke to him. ''You know, you're awfully unlucky, Mister Haine. If you had arrived yesterday night, you wouldn't need to have to go through all this trouble right now.''

Len arched an eyebrow. ''And why is that so?'' he asked curiously. SeeU smirked at him, a knowing light in her blue eyes. She had slid the sheath of notes he had given her inside the pocket of her skirt, and now, absent-mindedly, she patted that pocket. Like she was trying to reassure herself that the money was still there. Her blond hair bounced as she walked.

''Well, every night, one of the performers is chosen to mingle around with all the patrons, while the rest get to retire to their quarters for some rest,'' she chirped. ''Tonight, it's my turn. But yesterday night, it was Miku's...remember the crowd I had around me, just now at the bar? There's a crowd around Miku too, usually. Except that her crowd problem is ten times worse than mine is, poor girl,'' SeeU sighed.

Len nodded absently, filing the information away. He always remembered everything, whether it seemed relevant or not - there was no knowing when even the tiniest bit of information might come in useful. Finally, they reached the door, and at their approach, the green haired man named Gumo straightened up, his lips pressing together into a scowl.

''SeeU,'' he greeted her expressionlessly. His emerald eyes slid over to regard Len with suspicion. ''And who is this? I'm sure he's not a performer, and you know the rule, SeeU. No non performers are allowed backstage,'' as he said that, he shot Len a hostile glare. Len was unperturbed, however - it would take a whole lot more than some posturing just to unnerve him. He was an international spy, after all.

''He's a friend,'' SeeU rolled her eyes. ''Lighten up, Gumo. Look, why don't you just overlook this, and go get yourself a drink?'' the green haired man hesitated, shooting the bar a look filled with longing. SeeU, sensing Gumo's weakness, shot him a winning smile. ''I'll just show him inside, since he wants to talk to...someone, then I'll come out and cover for you. But only for a while,'' she added quickly.

''But...'' Gumo shot the bar another helpless look - it was obvious that the man hated being stationed here. ''Fine,'' he relented. ''But you cover me for an hour, afterwards. And God, if the boss catches him inside, this has absolutely nothing to do with me,'' he muttered, whirling around and heading off in the direction of the bar. SeeU turned, shooting Len a triumphant grin, and Len nodded, slightly amused.

That had been easy. ''Gumo's weakness is alcohol,'' SeeU explained. ''It's pretty easy to persuade him, so long as there's alcohol handy. But only performers can do that, since, you know, we all know each other. If someone he doesn't recognise tried to persuade him with alcohol, he'll bite their heads off,'' she rolled her eyes. Len blinked at her, then shrugged. Again, he set that aside for future consideration.

The shapely blonde opened the door, slipping inside quickly, and Len followed after her again. As the door closed behind them, Len looked around - the sounds of the club outside was muffled, and there was this eerie sense of having stepped into another world. SeeU glanced around, tapping lightly at her full lips with her index finger. ''Hm, which way...''

The place was a veritable maze. There were passages branching off everywhere, leading off to places unknown. Len suddenly felt grateful that he had asked for SeeU's assistance - he knew that, even if he had managed to get past the bouncer, there was no way he could have found Miku Hatsune's room by himself. Not in this confusing medley of corridors and rooms.

''This way,'' SeeU beckoned to him, and Len trailed along after her as she took a right turn. As she led him through the sprawling maze that made up the performers' quarters, Len memorised all the routes they had taken - he needed to be able to get out of here by himself, if the need ever so arose. After what seemed like an eternity, SeeU had led him down a passageway, with only one door at the end.

''This is Miku's room,'' SeeU announced, turning around to face him once more. Her eyes narrowed slightly, making him tense - she suddenly looked as though she knew more than she let on. ''I'll leave now, since Miku can escort you out later. Oh, you might want to be careful when you speak to Miku, though,'' she warned him, a playful glimmer shining in her eyes.

''Why?'' he asked warily. Len wondered, exactly, what kind of person Miku Hatsune was. She had seemed harmless enough. SeeU, who seemed to have guessed the direction of Len's thoughts, wrinkled her nose again. She seemed to do that a lot, come to think of it. The nose wrinkling. A behavioural tic, maybe? Was it an conscious act, or not? If it wasn't, then perhaps she only did the nose wrinkling in certain situations...

''Miku likes to play with her food before she eats it,'' the blonde informed him cheerily. She then turned away, brushing past him down the corridor, leaving him puzzling over her cryptic message. ''Good luck, Mister Haine!'' she called out as she left. ''You're going to need it...'' the last words were so soft that he almost didn't hear them, and Len frowned, unsure.

Shaking his head, he steeled his resolve. He couldn't let SeeU's words affect him - he had a job to do. Reaching out, he knocked on the wooden door, and the rapping sound echoed in the narrow passageway. Even when the final echoes of the knocking were fading away, no one came to answer the door...suddenly, Len felt rather exposed, standing out here. He didn't belong in here, and he was aware of that.

Finally, after an excruciating wait, the door was opened, and there stood the beautiful teal haired girl, her gaze cool as she regarded him. Her emerald eyes widened as she realised that he wasn't one of the performers, and at that, a frown formed on her lovely face. ''What are you doing here?'' she asked bluntly, not making any small talk and getting straight to the point.

Len liked that. He shrugged, watching her watch him with all the wariness of a cornered animal. ''I'd like to speak to you for a while,'' he offered. When she didn't move or react, he added, ''Inside your room, perhaps?'' Miku Hatsune's frown deepened, and she cocked her head as she stared up at him. She was half a head shorter than he was, he noticed. Finally, she sighed, and then slowly she shook her head.

''Sorry. I'm not interested in talking to strangers,'' she began to close the door, but hastily Len stuck his foot between the wooden door and the frame. Her head snapped up, and her vivid green eyes narrowed at him, filled with suspicion. She was an ice queen indeed, Len mused as he stared at her - her face was still completely blank, without any hint of a welcoming smile. Finally, she exhaled.

''Since you seem so persistent, then fine. Five minutes, no more,'' she waited for him to start speaking, but Len shook his head, eyeing the empty passageway behind him. He didn't want to be overheard by anyone who might be around these parts...and if things went the way he wanted, they were going to need to be in private. Hopefully with a bed somewhere, but that wouldn't be as necessary as the room.

''Inside,'' he said tersely. Her green eyes narrowed further at him, and then with obvious reluctance, she opened the door, letting him inside. Once he had entered, she closed the door behind him, turning the lock. There was an audible 'click', and frankly, that sound seemed rather ominous to him. Len pushed the thought away - he operated on logic, and he did not believe in superstitions or the like.

''Five minutes,'' she repeated, her voice flat. As she spoke, she walked over to a nearby dressing table, picking up a comb and running it through her long teal locks. She had let her hair out of its two long ponytails, and her silky hair now fell in one thick waterfall down her slim back. As she combed her hair, Len looked around the room, picking up details on what kind of person she was, and how she lived.

The decoration was sparse, and the room was almost Spartan - there were few, if any, personal belongings. The walls were bare, save for a horrendous green wallpaper that probably had been there since the building had been first constructed. There was a wardrobe in a corner, which probably held her performing clothes. There was also an intricate dressing table which she was currently standing at.

She herself was dressed in a simple bathrobe. It was white, and made out of what seemed to be cotton. The whiteness of the bathrobe just highlighted the paleness of her delicate skin...her skin was so pale, so white, that it seemed to be translucent. The sharp contrast between her teal hair and her pale skin was rather striking. It didn't help that her bathrobe didn't cover very much of her slender body.

Besides that, there were also two wooden chairs, and one small table at the side of the room. That was it - there wasn't anything else to indicate that the room had an occupant. Her voice broke into his thoughts - ''Well? What do you have to say? Tell me what you need to, then get out of here,'' he could see her reflection in the dressing table mirror, and the green eyes of her reflection met his own gaze.

''I just wanted to commend you on your dance,'' he started lamely, knowing that he had to build up a relationship with her, if he wanted to use her to investigate more on Tentation. On the allegation that the French crime ring operated here. ''It was very...'' he desperately searched for the right word, ''erotic,'' he finally said, settling for the truth. ''And I liked it a lot. I was sitting at the front row, watching you, if you can remember seeing me there...''

''I remember you,'' she agreed, surprising him a little. ''You're the one I threw my skirt to. I saw you burying your face in it,'' her voice was still flat, and he wondered what she had thought of his actions. ''But I doubt that you came here just to compliment my dancing ability. What do you want to say? Say your piece, then get out. You're not supposed to be here, and you know it.''

Len frowned, his eyes narrowing - she was colder than he had originally thought. ''Fine. Well, I want to ask you several questions about this place. Just to satisfy my own curiosity. I'm an investor, you see, and I'm interested in Tentation...my name is Ren Haine, and I -''

''I know what is your name,'' the girl interjected, whirling around, her comb still in hand. Len blinked, startled, watching her approach him slowly. Again, he felt that same sense of danger...the dance between predator and prey, both of them watching to see which of them would slip up. Would make a potentially fatal mistake. Finally, she was standing beside him, her green eyes narrowed up at him.

''Don't give me all those lies about investment, Mister Haine...'' she smiled, a smile which didn't reach her icy cold eyes. ''Or rather, should I say, Len Kagamine?'' With one swift motion, she had reached up, her arm looping around his neck. Len froze as he felt a cold blade against his neck, pressing into his warm skin. His lips slowly tilted up, just a little - now, this was unexpected. It would be...very interesting.

''What does the great Len Kagamine want from me?'' she breathed, her blade still held close to his neck. He saw that the small, sharp blade was a retractable one, which was protruding out from her ornate metal comb. ''One of the best spies...not only in this country, but across the globe. Everyone knows your name, but few know what you really look like. Save for the government, and all of the criminals you've caught in the past,'' she let out a bitter laugh.

Len Kagamine was a spy. But he was more than a conventional spy, who risked their lives to watch their enemies. He was also given the clearance to capture and interrogate criminals, and he did so with no abandon. In other words, he was rather...special. He risked his life doing his job, and because of that, the government gave him a hefty sum each month, fearing that he would be tempted away by other states.

''Let me guess. You fall into the latter category,'' he murmured, feeling the blade dig even deeper into his skin. They were trapped in a twisted mockery of a close embrace, her arms wrapped around his neck, her knife pressed against his skin. He wondered whether she would really dare to cut. If she really was a criminal...what kind of criminal was she? And how, exactly, did she recognise him?

''Maybe,'' she said softly. ''From the first moment I set eyes upon you, I knew who you were...and I knew that you wouldn't come here without some kind of reason,'' her voice hardened. ''What are you looking for in here, Len Kagamine?'' she hissed, letting the tip of the blade stroke against his chin. He arched his neck, avoiding the sharp metal tip.

''What do you think I'm looking for?'' he asked back, hoping that she might slip up and reveal something. It seemed as though his suspicions about her being involved in...suspicious activities, was correct. But to what extent was her involvement? Was she no more than an hired worker, or was she a key player in the whole organisation? That, he could not be sure. Not yet, not at this point of time.

''I'm not here to play word games with you,'' the petite girl's voice was calm. ''You can answer my question, or I can just slit your throat right here. And no one will ever know,'' he knew she was smiling. ''You go missing for months, each time you start a job - no one will notice your disappearance. By the time they do, I'll be long gone, and I won't have to worry about you. So what do you say? Will you cooperate or not?''

He frowned, wondering how to work his way out of this situation. As he thought, something sparked, deep in the recesses of his mind - some bit of information he had once stumbled across, something his photographic memory had yet to forget. Something about a butterfly, something about a criminal organisation...another one, not related to this one...

Her tattoo. It was important, that butterfly tattoo...he blinked. He felt like he had seen it before, while working on another case. This one had involved Italy instead of France, but why did the black and purple butterfly seem so familiar? Like...he had seen it before somewhere, the tattoo on her right hip...it was a defunct crime group now, as their leader had been arrested, but many members were still at large...

Members at large. Many of them were unknown, and they had spread out into other crime groups. Especially the French, since the French and Italian Mafia were known for their similarities...the name of the Italian group was on the tip of his tongue. What was it? The group that had gathered beneath the emblem of a black and purple butterfly. He knew this - he was the one who had arrested their leader.

Farfalla Corrotta. His eyes widened as he recalled - _Farfalla Corrotta. _Corrupted Butterfly. ''You belong to Farfalla Corrotta, don't you?'' he asked aloud, feeling her stiffen behind him. ''The defunct Italian criminal ring. The leader of that group had been arrested, and his name was Mikuo Hatsune...'' Len's eyes widened. ''You're his younger sister, aren't you?'' he breathed, the new information making sense.

He felt the blade disappear from his neck. He slowly turned around, to see that Miku Hatsune was staring at him, her eyes wide with shock. ''How did you know that I was once part of Farfalla Corrotta?'' she demanded, looking faintly dazed. Then she shook her head, her eyes hardening. ''The tattoo,'' she mumbled. ''I should have lasered it off, when I had the chance...'' she glanced back up at him.

''Look, what do you want from me?'' she asked, suddenly sounding weary. ''You are the one who got my brother thrown into jail. I saw the whole thing. What more do you want with me, Len Kagamine? Do you want to arrest me and put me in jail, as well?'' she ran her fingers through her hair, her expression as cold as ever. ''Do it, if you really want to. I don't care. At least I might get to visit my brother, while I'm at it.''

''I'm not here because of Farfalla Corrotta,'' Len spoke up, seeing her eyes widen in surprise. ''I'm here because of...'' he let his voice trail off, wondering how much he ought to reveal. She was a criminal, the younger sister of a transnational crime lord. Mikuo Hatsune had been engaged in all manner of crime, before - who knew what his younger sister was capable of? What she might possibly do?

And it was possible that she might be grateful to the French Mafia, if they really were here and had absorbed her into their folds. No, revealing too much at this point was risky, not without some kind of bargain. Some kind of deal. With that thought, he changed his original words. ''I'm interested in making a...deal, with you,'' he offered, seeing her green eyes light up with reluctant interest. He held back a smile.

''What deal?'' she asked suspiciously. Len paused, making her wonder and worry. He knew that he had the upper hand here - he knew more than she did. And because he had the upper hand, because he had more knowledge than she did, at the moment, she wouldn't kill him. At least, not for now. He couldn't be sure about later, though, once she knew what he knew...so he had to be careful.

''Do you want to see your brother?'' he offered her. Her eyes immediately lit up with longing, but then it quickly flattened out into her usual icy look. The stare she shot him was filled with hostile suspicion, and he kept in mind that she probably detested him - because he was the man who had thrown her elder brother in jail. He couldn't blame her for holding a grudge.

''What do you want in exchange?'' she asked him, sounding wary. Len just cocked his head, smiling down at her. She was still holding on to her comb, but the blade had evidently retracted back into the ornate metal casing, and now it looked harmless. Like it was no more than a mere comb. In a way, the comb was like her - it looked innocent. Beautiful, harmless...but in actual fact, she was deadly. Dangerous.

He reached out to her, noticing the way she stiffened as his hand approached her face. Gently, he tucked a loose strand of her teal hair behind her ear. She was so still that one could have mistaken her for a statue. A beautifully detailed work of art. Her eyes searched his, looking for any signs of a trap. There was no trap to be found - he was serious about letting her see her brother. On one condition.

''Nothing much. You only have to do everything I ask you to, and answer any question I may ask, without any protests. Simple, isn't it?''


	3. Chapter 3

Ever since young, Miku Hatsune had been a wily girl. Cunning and sly, she had learnt of the way of crafty bargaining from her brother's knee, and she knew exactly how to differentiate a good deal, from a very, very bad one.

The deal that the blond spy had just presented her most definitely fell into the latter category. Miku's eyes narrowed - she missed her brother dearly, but not enough that she would agree to such a ridiculous bargain. Len Kagamine had clearly overestimated the extent to which she desired to see her elder brother. ''Only a fool, or a desperate man, would agree to those kind of disadvantageous terms,'' she pointed out.

Len Kagamine's icy blue eyes narrowed back at her. Unconsciously, her grip on her comb tightened - the comb, with the retractable knife, had been a gift from her brother. And she knew exactly how to use that knife...just in case the spy tried to do anything that she disagreed with. ''That's the only bargain I'm offering,'' he replied, in a tone as cold as her own. ''If you don't want it, then that's just too bad.''

She stared hard at him. Warily, her gaze tracked every single one of his movements, her mind swiftly interpreting them to see whether he meant her harm, or not. For now, the man seemed coolly relaxed, enough that she didn't feel the urge to reach over and slit his neck. ''I might agree to your terms if you are willing to renegotiate,'' she said cautiously, wondering whether he would accept her offer.

''What do you want to change?'' he asked her. Her eyes widened a little in surprise - she had not expected him to be open to change. She cleared her throat lightly, reminding herself that it was possible this was all a ruse. Her brother had taught her well - she knew how to bargain, and she knew how to make the best out of everything she had. An advantage of being a criminal mastermind, she supposed.

''I'll do whatever you want, and answer whatever you may ask me...but you do not supervise how I go about doing what you request. And, should I ever ask you what's the purpose for everything you request that I do, then you tell me the truth. No half-truths, no evasions - nothing but the truth,'' she smiled. ''And trust me when I say that I know exactly how to differentiate the truth from the lies.''

Then, a thought occurred to her, and she raised a hand before he could speak. ''No...ah, lewd requests,'' she said forcefully. ''And nothing that would require me to betray my brother...or any underground secrets.'' She raised an eyebrow at the look on his face. ''I'm sure you know what it's like, Kagamine,'' she added slyly. ''Criminal underworld, what with all the forced trust and blackmail...I can't possibly let anything slip.''

An arched eyebrow. ''No lewd requests?'' A slow smile crept across his face, and frankly, that smile unnerved her a little. ''That's rather disappointing. Would I be right to assume that you haven't finished stating your terms? You really are a picky one, Miku Hatsune...as sly as your brother is,'' that last sentence was spoken with a sing-song lilt, and she frowned at him, not liking the glimmer in his blue eyes.

''I get to decide whether or not I want to fulfil your request,'' she decided. She noticed him open his mouth to protest, and she cut across him. ''Don't worry, I'll only turn you down a maximum of...three times? I think that's acceptable. Also, when the time comes, you do me a favour of my choice as well. Just letting me see my brother...is not exactly worth all the trouble that you're putting me through.''

His eyes narrowed once more, and she sensed that she had managed to strike a nerve. ''So that's all? You really wish for me to account for all of my requests?'' he asked. Unexpectedly, his lips tilted up into a smirk. ''Then that's done...though I don't see exactly how that changes anything. I've never intended to hide my reasons for asking you questions, anyway,'' his voice was honeyed. She grew suspicious.

Or at least, she became more suspicious than she already was. He had agreed far too easily. She knew this Len Kagamine - he was not the type of person who just agreed to things. He always ensured that deals would benefit him the most, out of all the parties involved...she wondered whether she should have agreed to the bargain in the first place. But then, she couldn't see how this would disadvantage her.

''And as for granting you a favour of your choice, that would depend on what you ask of me,'' he added, his voice turning as smooth and persuasive as before. ''Only if it is within my means...and I'm sure you would know if it's within my means or not. I shall do my best to carry out what you wish. But I can't make you any promises - I'm not that influential in the government. If you want something illegal...''

''Believe me, I'd make sure that whatever I ask of you would fall within your jurisdiction,'' Miku narrowed her eyes at him. ''I can't believe that I'm making a deal with an agent of the government,'' she muttered, more to herself than to him. ''With the man who had thrown my elder brother behind bars...'' she let her gaze drift away from the blond man, a sudden surge of unwanted memories surfacing in her.

She had first seen the blond spy six years ago. When she had been eighteen. Of course, at the time, she hadn't known that he was a spy - he had just started out in his career, and nobody knew who he was. She had seen him in one of the illegal underground gambling dens that her brother ran, but she hadn't thought anything of that, thinking that he was no more than a mere customer...which had been a big mistake.

After a while, she had realised that this blond man kept showing up, at all of her brother's various illegal enterprises. It was too much of a mere coincidence, since her brother regularly shifted the venues of his different activities, in order to remain undetected by the government. Only regular, trusted patrons were informed of the new venues each time, and this man was most definitely not an old customer of theirs.

Suspicious, she had made some enquiries about him, and it was only then that she had realised nothing was known about him. Nobody knew whether he belonged to any old street gang, or whether he was a rival crime lord, or an underling in some other crime group - nothing was known about this man at all. It had been because of that observation that she had known he was not a part of their criminal world.

So who was he? She had told her brother about her observations. Instantly, her brother had clamped down on all illegal activities, laying low for a while. During that period when her brother had disappeared from the radar, the blond man had likewise disappeared. Which was most suspicious. Miku knew then that there was an informant within their group - but the only question was, who exactly was it?

Until now, she still had yet to find out. This case of cat-and-mouse repeated itself, over the next three years. Stupidly, or maybe otherwise, the man who came to all her brother's different functions was always the same person. The man with the light blond hair, twisted up into a small ponytail, with narrowed, icy blue eyes. She couldn't forget what he looked like, not when she noticed him so much. All the time.

Although she knew that he wasn't one of the shady criminals of their underground world, and so he could not be trusted, she hadn't been able to stop herself from being reluctantly attracted to the handsome blond. Not that she trusted the criminals either, but they would be less likely to betray them due to fear of being implicated. Yes, she found this man suspicious, but then...she couldn't deny he was extremely attractive.

She had always had a thing for aloof, mysterious men. And he was clearly both of that. Eventually, she found herself looking forward to each of his visits to her brother's operations, even though she knew he was there for a purpose...and even though he had never once even glanced at her. One nagging little doubt held in her mind, though - what was a non-criminal doing here, in an criminal den?

That reluctant attraction disappeared the day he had apprehended her brother. The day he had revealed himself to be a government spy - and not just any spy. Len Kagamine, the top spy in the state. The government's secret weapon. Throughout all of the three years he had been watching them, no one had ever known that they were rubbing shoulders with one of the most skilled spies the world had ever seen.

During the span of the three years he had been watching her brother, gathering enough information to finally capture him, the blond spy had made a name for himself. Miku had heard rumours of the discreet man, who had managed to capture some of the best operatives within the underground crime scene. The best of the best, the criminal lords who others had once thought invulnerable to the law. To arrest.

Miku still didn't know how Len Kagamine had managed to get all his information - but whatever he had known had been accurate enough that he could show up for every single one of her brother's crime sprees, as a spectator, without fail. He had never done anything, so everyone had assumed that he was no more than a curious bystander, interested in the way their crime ring had operated.

Now, she knew differently. The only reason why Len Kagamine had never made any move to apprehend their group was because he was waiting patiently for the prize. Biding his time, waiting for Mikuo Hatsune himself to come out and take part in his own crimes. Her brother was smart - he usually sat behind the scene, watching everyone else do his dirty work for him. Which was why he was never caught.

One day, though, Mikuo had become bored. So he himself had come out, to participate in a drug deal that involved large amounts of heroin and millions of dollars - and Len Kagamine had seen the chance he had been long waiting for. Swiftly, he had apprehended her brother, arresting him for his involvement as a crime lord. Along with a record of all the illegal events Kagamine himself had seen, all those times.

Miku's brother couldn't deny his crimes, not in the face of all that damning evidence. So he had been thrown into jail. Miku had watched, horrified, as her brother had been arrested by the spy - and at that moment, all lingering attraction she had felt towards the blond man had instantly disappeared. How could she possibly be interested in the man who had thrown her beloved elder brother in a cell?

It was hard to stay attracted to someone who had done her such a great...wrong. Especially when that man had never returned her attraction to him, to begin with. Miku needed to blame someone for Mikuo's arrest - and she had, rather conveniently, long decided that Len Kagamine was the perfect person to blame. He was a government spy. If it were not for him, then Mikuo wouldn't be in jail right now.

Looking at Kagamine now, though, she couldn't help feeling a flutter of that attraction she had once felt - that same attraction she had felt, when she had seen him amongst the audience, earlier. Watching her with hunger in his eyes. She scowled at the thought - _sentimental fool. Don't forget who was the one who had put your one remaining family member behind bars. Don't let your emotions confuse you._

Revenge. It was a deep, black dish - a dish best served cold. Served as cold as the grave itself. But when the dish was served, the results were always so very sweet. After the tart bitterness that came right after dealing revenge out, there would be a faint sweetness - too faint to be noticed, at first. But the sweetness would grow until it became...pleasurable. A sweet pleasure that triumphed over the initial bitterness.

The retractable blade flicked out once again, as she watched the spy watching her - she would exact her revenge upon him. She would avenge her elder brother, since he himself was unable to do anything, at this present moment. And with that revenge would come a sweet moment of pure bliss. Len Kagamine had offended her by locking her brother away - and whenever Miku Hatsune was offended, she never got mad.

No, Miku got even. And she would get even with the spy, on her own terms, and in her own ways. She noticed the way his blue eyes flicked to her blade, and she hid a small smile. Good. Maybe he would learn to be wary of her...and that always made games more fun to play. He believed that her brother's crime syndicate, _Farfalla Corrotta_, was now defunct. That was far from the truth, though. Impossibly far.

It was difficult to break a crime group apart, not when one of its two leaders were still at large. Unlike what the authorities thought, Farfalla Corrotta was not a one-man show. One of its leaders was still living under the radar of the police, and that leader was her. The younger sister of Mikuo Hatsune...another child of the infamous Hatsune family. A family long known for their involvement in the underworld.

''So what would you want me to do for you first, then?'' she asked sweetly, not betraying any of the intense dislike she felt for him. The blond man seemed to jerk out of a reverie, staring at her as though he had just seen her pop out of thin air. Miku stifled the urge to roll her eyes - honestly, what kind of person was she dealing with, here? She had no idea. She was wary of labelling him as an imbecile, but...still.

''I need to know a couple of things about this place,'' he shrugged casually, looking more relaxed than she felt. ''But let's discuss more...important matters first,'' his lips tilted up, into a smirk that she found extremely annoying, for some reason. ''You must be greatly looking forward to seeing your brother, after all this while,'' he suggested, voice hypnotic. ''Wouldn't you want to talk about...visiting him?''

She blinked innocently at him, though the thoughts that ran through her mind then were far from innocent. _I take my words back. He is an imbecile. Does he not think that I'm able to recognise it, whenever someone is trying to distract me? Make me let down my guard? If he desires to do that, then he ought to at least make it a little less obvious. A three-year-old could see through these feeble attempts._

''No, no...I find myself taking great interest in what you wish for me to do,'' she murmured, drifting away from him to settle herself into one of the two chairs, in her room. Casually, she crossed her legs, the edge of the small bathrobe she wore riding up her thigh at the action. She folded her arms across her chest as she noticed his gaze sliding intently up her leg, staring at her bare, creamy white skin.

It would seem as though the spy was more than just casually interested in her, if the intent spark in his eyes indicated anything. Perhaps she could use that to her advantage...to avenge her brother? But how would she get her revenge? She pondered for a while - a slow, lingering, painful death sounded pleasant, to her. Nothing would ever hurt more than a death which was agonisingly drawn out, on purpose.

But then, murder was such a dirty word...Miku preferred to think of such things as selective extermination. For the good of the rest of the community. Weeding out the useless things, so that the rest could develop more healthily. ''You know, you're not very good, for a reputed super spy,'' she added, watching his blue eyes flick up to clash with her own. ''Going around without any attempt to disguise yourself whatsoever.''

He shrugged, the previous interest in his cerulean eyes dimming slightly. ''There's no need for me to disguise myself when I'm on a small job like this one...or so I thought,'' he tilted his head. ''Arrogance would be my sole downfall, I could grant you that. But then, not disguising myself...wasn't that better for me? I was able to make the acquaintance of the lovely lady,'' he waved a hand casually at her.

''There's no need to sound so patronising,'' she managed to bite out. How she longed to step over and swipe her blade across his neck - but no, she would hold herself back from that compulsion. For now. The arrogant spy would know what was coming for him, but only after she had managed to ascertain what was it that he wanted from her - and whether she would be able to reap any benefits out of it.

''Patronising? _Moi?_'' the smirk returned, and she just rolled her eyes and sighed. ''You are a strange one, Miss Hatsune. Anyway, since you're so curious about what's my motive in seeking you out...it's all very simple, actually,'' he sat gracefully in the chair opposite hers, pressing his fingers together and holding them up to his lips. The expression on his face became much more businesslike. Miku sat up, attentive.

It seemed as though it would be for the best, that she paid attention to this part of his talk. ''As you have probably guessed, I did not come to this...nightclub,'' distaste dripped from the very word, ''for simple leisure. I am here for a job. And for this job, I need someone else to be my eyes and ears. Someone the establishment would never suspect of being a spy. Hence, I decided to enlist the help of a performer.''

''Why me, though?'' she asked, studying him carefully. Again, his lips tilted up, into the tiniest ghost of a smirk. He was an infuriating man, this one - worse than any of the other men who had ever tried to hit on her, before. A man who probably thought of himself as God's gift to women. It would give her no little pleasure to watch his face as she got rid of him...and she would do that. Once his purpose was served.

''You're rather suspicious,'' came the blunt reply. He paused, letting his words sink in, before he continued. ''If I had to choose any single performer to help me with my case, then it would make sense for me to choose the performer who has...the most leverage with the higher ups of this club. So, why not ask for you? You're such a pretty girl,'' his voice turned into a purr. ''People would never suspect you.''

''What do you need help with?'' she asked, her voice as blunt as his own. She didn't intend to engage in any little word games with Len Kagamine - honestly, she wasn't even sure if she would end up fulfilling her part of the bargain. Perhaps she would, but only if it suited her to do so. Otherwise, she would just find a way to secure regular visits to her brother...after which she would avenge her wrong.

If there was one flaw that Miku would ever admit to having, then it was the tendency to want to get rid of anyone who had ever wronged her, no matter how slight the offence. And she had a rather annoying urge to kill them straight, without drawing it out for torture. But this time would be different. There would be no quick, painless death for this one. For this spy, there would be torture. Then a slow death.

_There would be no quick, painless death for this one. God, I'm becoming melodramatic_. ''Remember my conditions, though,'' she added, before he could say a single word. ''I wish to see my brother. And I will not tell you anything which would...disadvantage my criminal acquaintances,'' she tapped lightly at her bottom lip. ''Secrets shall remain secrets - that is the criminal code. A code of honour, if you will.''

''There is no honour amongst thieves,'' the spy retorted, his voice sharp. But then, his tone softened, becoming a silken purr once more. ''However, when you say that you will not reveal anything which would disadvantage your...friends, in which aspect of that did you mean? Economically? Or socially? Perhaps otherwise? Disadvantage can manifest itself in various forms, as I'm sure that you well know.''

''Economically. Politically. I will not reveal anything that will get them arrested,'' her eyes narrowed. ''Not so much because I care about them, but because I don't like you,'' she added, uncrossing her legs. ''Let's make things clear from the start, Kagamine. I do not like you. And you know that I'm the sister of a notorious crime lord, I myself a leader in crime. It is a shaky relationship that we have, here.''

''Shaky it may be,'' he shrugged, looking bemused, ''but sometimes, in order to find out what he must, even the most gifted spy in the world has to rub shoulders with those of the criminal underground,'' he sighed. ''I'm more interested in _you_, Miss Hatsune...what is the sister of a crime kingpin doing here, stuck in a, to be frank, rather third-rate nightclub? You could be elsewhere. Doing better things.''

''And allow myself to be arrested by the very man who had put away my brother,'' she snorted. ''Not likely. The people here were kind enough to take me in after you scattered my brother's crime ring, because of his arrest...'' she tapped her fingers against her bare knees. ''The life here is easy. My pay is decent, I'm not doing anything illegal, and I no longer have to fear the police breathing down my back.''

Len Kagamine rose from the chair, walking over to her. She stiffened, but he didn't stop, instead walking behind her chair...then he leant down, his lips near her earlobe. ''You know, this life doesn't suit you,'' he whispered. ''You were very much like your brother, before. Bold. Daring. Escaping the law by the skin of your teeth. I've heard reports, Miss Hatsune - you are extremely far from innocent. At one point, you were too much like your brother for my liking...''

His voice turned pensive. ''You know, maybe I should be glad that you decided to mellow down and stay in this nightclub, eking out a honest living,'' he murmured. His fingers reached out, sliding down her cheek, and she resisted the urge to flinch. ''If you had kept up the rate at which you were going, you would've been marked as high priority. And I can't imagine having to come and arrest such a pretty girl.''

She couldn't move. ''What, exactly, have you heard about me?'' she breathed out, feeling his cool breath washing against the back of her neck. She could sense that he was smirking, the infuriating spy, and she tried hard not to let that get to her. The past three years since her brother's arrest...well, she hadn't been just lying low, waiting for something to happen. Crime was in her blood...just like for Mikuo.

Mikuo Hatsune. Her brother. A notorious crime lord, ever since the tender age of eighteen. Sharp and cunning, with an ability to plan and scheme that was rivalled by none, she had inherited much of the wit and daring that her brother had been blessed with. Mikuo's only flaw was his over protectiveness - he was ridiculously protective of her, and in a way, that was what had led to his unfortunate arrest.

She swallowed. The feeling of guilt that would forever haunt her, because of that...someone was going to have to pay. And that certain someone was currently standing next to her, breathing down her back. A genius, then? She wondered how intelligent Len Kagamine truly was. Was he as smart as what most people claimed him to be? Or was he nothing more than a passing interest? A flash-in-the-pan?

''Things,'' was all he said, not revealing any more. She resisted the urge to grind her teeth - teeth grinding was most undignified, and she did not do undignified. She was not as crass and...lowlife as most criminals were. Even on the other side of the law, it was possible for there to be elegance. Class. Her brother had exuded both, and she did likewise...except that she was much better at it than he was.

''Curious, are we?'' the spy crooned, sounding satisfied despite her attempt to cover up her frustration. She supposed that he was clearly able to feel that obvious annoyance directed at him, rolling off her in waves - it did not take much for this particular man to antagonise her, and it was likely that he was more than just aware of that little fact. ''If you really want to know...then be free tomorrow. I'll be back.''

With that, the spy turned and strode away, quietly closing the door behind him as he walked out of her room. Miku remained motionless in her seat, waiting for the sound of his footsteps to fade away, before she rose from her chair and went over to her dresser table. On it lay a single mobile phone, and she reached out for it, scrolling intently through her very long list of numerous contacts.

She knew that she would not like whatever it was the spy requested of her, when he returned tomorrow - and she knew that he was going to come back. Someone was going to have to keep tabs on him for her - and fortunately enough for her, plenty of her brother's former underlings remained very loyal to their leader's sister. Fortunate for her, and luckily for them...because otherwise, she would have gutted them all.

''Gumo?'' she spoke, wincing as she heard the club's background music, over the phone. ''There's a man I want you to follow and watch. He should be leaving the performers' quarters by now. I want you to track his movements, then report back to me. He has blond hair and blue eyes...and his name is Len Kagamine.''


	4. Chapter 4

_There's someone following me. _Len didn't need to turn around to notice that - he knew that, from the very moment he stepped out of the nightclub, Mikuo Hatsune's sister would have asked someone to tail him. To see what he was up to. At the thought, his lips curved up.

Well, if the lovely girl was really so curious about what he was up to, she could have just asked him. Len whistled casually, shoving his hands into his pockets as he turned, walking down a relatively deserted street. He knew his stalker would follow, though at a slower pace to avoid being caught. This was all so simple, and Len didn't find any of this particularly fun. Should he try and shake the stalker off?

He decided not to - he could use this as a gauge to see how serious Miku was being, about the whole thing. At the thought of the teal haired ice princess, he shook his head sharply - no, he would not allow her to fill his thoughts, not again. Not the same way she had managed to control his every thought, five years ago...back when he had first started out in his career. Back when he hadn't known anything better.

Oh, yes. He recalled her now. Before, when he had been watching her perform on-stage, he hadn't recognised her, for she had changed _so much. _Learning that she was the same girl he had seen, five years ago...it had been a rather big shock, to tell the truth. Though he hadn't done anything to show her that shock. He had done what he was good at - he had set that shock aside, focusing on the task at hand.

Len was skilled at doing such a thing. Of course, most people involved in business and bargaining had to be. He had to know how to push aside all feelings, even surprise and shock, to focus on what he was doing. Emotions were not useful when it came to making deals and doing his job. So, when he had come face-to-face with her, when he had found out who she was...he had kept a veil between his mind and his shock, keeping himself distant from it.

Now that his negotiating and fun was over, Len allowed himself to be awestruck by just how much the petite girl had changed, over the years. She had always been a startlingly lovely girl - even when she had been an eighteen-year-old, barely into womanhood, she had been beautiful enough to capture his attention. But her beauty then had been different. It had been more...innocent. Hidden behind shadows.

She had been a child, too shy to show her true beauty to anyone. The glimmers of the seductive woman she would grow up to be had shown on her face even then, but it hadn't been that obvious. Still, he had noticed her - he had seen the utter perfection of her features even then, and he had wanted her. He hadn't allowed himself to succumb to that desire, for he had been there with a motive. With a purpose.

_''Who's that girl? The one with the teal hair,'' Len whispered, watching her hungrily. The slender girl, dressed in a simple black blouse and red trimmed black miniskirt, moved between the different gambling tables, making sure that there wasn't any cheating going on. It surprised Len that, even in an illegal casino, there was a system involved._

_This girl was beautiful. Even though he was here for a job, and not to notice beautiful women, he could appreciate the perfection of her features. She looked...delicate. Like she wasn't able to stand up for herself. She seemed almost out of place, standing in the middle of an underground gambling den, and Len found himself wondering why she was willing to work here, of all places. Money problems?_

_Then again, it wasn't as though he had any reason to care. He didn't even know who she was. But he knew that she just looked too...fragile, to be in a place as dangerous as this. He glanced away from her, ignoring the sudden urge to stand up, walk over to her, and ask her why she was here when she could be anywhere else. That wasn't his responsibility._

_''Oh, her?'' One of his fellow gamblers glanced up, following the direction of Len's stare. So far, Len was winning - mainly because this idiot was letting Len see his hand. Len had never been a particularly good bridge player, but even he could win with that. Of course, the only reason why Len was playing was so he could blend in. ''That's Miku Hatsune.''_

_Len jerked at the familiar last name. ''Is she related to Mikuo Hatsune? The leader of Farfalla Corrotta?'' he asked, not quite wanting to know the answer. The other gambler didn't answer for a while, instead staring at the hand he had received. He had a Queen of Diamonds, Len noticed. He knew he could trump that, since he had yet to open the trump card._

_''Yeah,'' the man finally replied, his tone absent-minded. ''She's his younger sister. She's usually around the poker players over there, since they're the ones who are most likely to cheat. What she does is that she ensures that everyone plays fair - Mikuo hates it whenever fights break out due to cheating. It doesn't hurt that she's not hard to look at, either.''_

_The last few words were spoken with a distinct leer, but Len didn't reply to that. It was his turn to set down a card, and he realised he had no diamonds left. ''Open trump,'' he said clearly, setting down a two of spades. The other man cursed, having no spades, and he had no choice but to set down his one remaining diamond card - the Queen._

_Len gathered up the cards, putting them in a pile and setting them aside. As he threw down his next card, his gaze lifted and clashed with a vivid green one. Miku Hatsune stared at him for a while, her eyes narrowed in suspicion - Len froze. _She knows...she knows that I'm not supposed to be here, _he thought to himself. She was definitely no idiot, this sister of the notoriously intelligent Hatsune crime lord._

_But no matter. He would return tomorrow - he knew where Mikuo Hatsune was going to hold his next illegal gambling den, mainly due to the help of his informant. Money could help resolve many issues - even as a child, he had known that. Money made the world go round...and money was the best lawyer in Hell. It was a corrupt world that they all lived in, and without money, one was nothing._

_He glanced up again. The girl had moved on, and as she walked past another table where the people were playing blackjack, one of the men leered at her, reaching up to touch her ass. She slapped his hand away, putting on a strained smile - she couldn't chase any of her brother's clients away, Len was fairly certain of that. He turned away from that sight._

_She was Mikuo Hatsune's sister, the sister of a man he was supposed to track down and arrest. He had no business getting involved with Miku Hatsune, no matter how desirable a girl she appeared to be. No matter how much her slender frame tempted him. She wouldn't appreciate him interfering, he was sure - she was more than capable of holding her own._

_His gaze drifted slowly across her. Still, he was unable to prevent himself from reacting to her presence. Again, her stare met his, and she quickly glanced away, seemingly reluctant to meet his gaze. This time, it was out of embarrassment - he could see the faint rose tint blossoming on her porcelain cheeks. She was a shy one, this tiny, slender little girl._

_Len smirked. He liked the shy ones. They were always so fun to tease. But no, he wasn't going to let himself get involved, no matter how much he yearned for otherwise - because she was the sister of his enemy, sister of the government's enemy. And getting involved with her was foolish...even if she had no idea who he really was. What he was doing here._

Len now shook his head, getting himself out of his memories. His eyes narrowed - no, dwelling in the past was something reserved solely for sentimental fools, and that was not who he was. He had never expected that he would once again run into Miku Hatsune, the small tealette who had ensnared his attention so. In that tiny girl, he had seen a breathtaking, stunning beauty that even now, he could not forget.

But God. She was so different now. Before, she had been pretty. Timid and shy, but sweetly adorable. Now, she was a whole new person - gone was the crippling shyness, instead being replaced by a wicked seductress. The boldness with which she met his gaze, the tempting smirk she wore while she had stripped for him - he sucked in a breath at the thought. She was so different that...he couldn't recognise her.

Despite that distinctive teal hair, he hadn't been able to recognise her when she came out to perform. Even after hearing her name, he hadn't managed to link her back to that small little mouse he had once seen, so long before. It was only when he had discovered her ties with Farfalla Corrotta, had he realised...she was the girl who had once tempted him beyond belief. Who had once managed to make him crave.

And with what? Nothing but her presence alone. She had never done anything to him, had never even _spoken _a single word to him - yet, he had wanted her before. Wanted so badly that even now, with that memory, he could taste the lust on his tongue. He scowled faintly at himself, not liking the readiness with which he surrendered himself to her. He had moved on since those years long past - he was no longer that fool.

He did not mix his work with his love life. Not ever. Love and work were immiscible, and he was not going to allow himself to be distracted by a girl who, no doubt, wanted to see him dead. After all, if someone had arrested a person dear to him, he would have wanted to see that someone die by his own hand, as well. He had to be on his guard against this one - he couldn't afford to slip up in any way.

_You'll do anything I tell you to..._he shook his head again, shutting his eyes to block out the images those words brought forth. She had already told him that she would not entertain any lewd requests, and he would keep his word - even if she herself did not intend to. Len was no fool, and he knew that even if she broke their deal, there would be no repercussions. None save for him hunting her down.

It was so strange, how greatly this girl affected him. Clearly, he wasn't as invulnerable as he had once thought himself to be...or perhaps it was simply because this was a girl he had lusted after, in the early days of his career. Back when he hadn't learnt how to steel himself against love and desire. Either way, from the very moment he had first seen her, she had wormed past his defences. Tearing him down.

She was different, for she was the first woman he had ever truly lusted for - the first girl he had ever felt attraction to, to be honest. Before he had started out in his career, he had never come across any other girl who could make him experience more than a few brief seconds of fleeting appreciation. It seemed that even after five years, his lust for Miku Hatsune could still be felt. And now, it burnt stronger than ever.

But nothing would change. He would remain unaffected by his lust...after all, if there was one thing he was good at, it was remaining detached from his emotions. He had managed to do that in the three years he had been trying to arrest Mikuo Hatsune, had he not? _No, you didn't manage to remain truly detached, _a little voice whispered knowingly, in the back of his mind. Len did his best to ignore the voice.

Everyone was against him. Even his own mind. And he was not going to allow his traitorous mind to turn him against himself. _First sign of madness, talking about your mind as though it is a third party. _He knew the signs, but he would not act upon them - for he wasn't mad, was he? No, of course he was no such thing. Insane people would never admit that they were insane, for that would mean they _knew._

Len darted into a nearby side alley, knowing that his stalker still had yet to turn the corner he had just passed. There, he hid, waiting with bated breath for the person who was tailing him to pass. When someone suddenly popped out before the alley entrance, looking rather confused, Len felt a brief, unexpected surge of disappointment - _someone I recognise. That makes it all even more obvious, Miku..._

_Unless she has different motives in mind? Since that bargain has been struck, we've played ourselves a game - I wonder what she's up to, now. _Keeping that in mind, Len reached out, grabbing the green haired man by his collar. With a bewildered yelp, Gumo was dragged into the alley, Len whipping him around so that he would face him. Gumo paled at the sight of Len, glaring furiously at him, and wearing a scowl.

In truth, Len was far from angry. He was actually rather amused by the fact that Miku Hatsune had sent someone he had seen before, in the nightclub, to tail him. Surely she must have known that he would remember who this green haired man was - so why did Miku send this man? Anyone else might have passed this off as carelessness, or that she simply didn't care, but Len knew that it was otherwise.

Miku was playing a game here. What the objectives were, what the rules were...he had no idea. And that would make it very amusing, because he knew that she wanted to kill him. Len had always relished the missions where his life had been in mortal danger. The thrill, the rush of adrenaline - it was all sinfully delightful, and this time was no different. In fact, it was even _more _fun, because Miku hated him so.

Maybe hate was too strong a word. But dislike him, she certainly did - and that would make matters interesting. Perhaps being sent to investigate Tentation for the presence of the French Mafia hadn't been too bad a job, after all. He knew that he wouldn't be able to let down his guard around Miku...even if, for now, she was his _ally_, there was an extremely high chance that she would stab him in the back.

They couldn't have such a thing happening now, could they? But then again, the presence of this man was just one of the examples of how greatly Miku distrusted him. And when people distrusted another, they would be more likely to eliminate them from their lives. It was in human nature to eradicate all unknowns, so that they could feel safe and secure. Anomalies were most certainly neither safe nor secure.

''Miku sent you to follow me, didn't she?'' Len demanded, his voice carefully flat and unemotional. This was fun, watching the already pale man pale further. It made his skin turn the colour of curdled milk. Len took great relish in frightening criminals - one perk of his spy job, he supposed. He could interrogate them at any given length...and usually, it resulted in them all being scared out of their wits.

Len Kagamine was not a conventional spy. He was like the police force, the Secret Service and a spy, all in one. He had the authority to arrest and interrogate suspects. He had enough weaponry and knowledge of self-defence..._and _offensive moves, to pass off as Secret Service. And of course, he was a spy who gathered any information the government required. He was their little secret weapon, lethal and deadly.

Which was why they were all so frightened of other countries tempting him away, so that he would work for them instead. His pay was ridiculous...not that he was complaining. Another reason why they feared him so was because of the cold detachment he held - he was so unemotional, so separated from his own feelings, that he was just like a machine. Efficient but cold. He always got the job done.

Len loved his job, and little else. Feelings...they were unnecessary, and they greatly interfered with his work. He had realised that shortly after he had first started out in his career as a government spy - he found out that, his emotions messed up his judgement. Made him hesitate to act or do anything useful. Emotions and feelings helped with nothing, and his conscience was just like his useless feelings.

He had long shed his conscience, and now he was little more than a heartless robot. He didn't sympathise - he never empathised. His job was his first priority, and his feelings came second. Everyone in the criminal world feared him, for they all knew that he had no conscience on which they could tap on. It didn't matter to Len whether or not they had six starving children to support. They were criminals, and that was it.

At least, that was usually the case...but then, apparently that coldness didn't extend to Miku Hatsune. He didn't want to admit the reason why she affected him so, why she was someone so special, why she actually forced him to blend his emotions with his job - he would have liked to say that this was all nothing but a dream. But it was the truth, and he knew perfectly well why she was unique, different from the rest -

''No, what makes you say that?'' Gumo asked, sounding carefully neutral. Just like Len, actually. It was far too careful for Len's comfort, and Len further narrowed his icy blue gaze. _He's a good one, this one. After having gotten over the initial shock, he seems rather...confident. Sure that he has done nothing wrong. Is this why Miku sent him, out of all her available lackeys? But then, that seems too obvious..._

_If she's anything like her brother, her plans won't be unravelled so easily. Mikuo Hatsune's plans always took into consideration the initial impression. He never constructed mere plans - he wrote operas. _Len didn't like admitting that someone else was as intelligent as he was, but the truth was right before him. Mikuo Hatsune was a criminal genius, he knew that.

''Because I'm not an idiot, perhaps,'' he drawled, sarcasm layering his voice. ''Let's say that I'm wrong. Why would you be following me, then? I've walked some distance from the nightclub...and strangely enough, you're here, taking the exact same route that I did,'' Len made an exaggerated shrug. ''I don't see anything nearby in this remote little area which could possibly be of interest. Do you notice anything, Gumo?''

His green eyes widened, but he didn't let his surprise seep into his voice. ''There's a liquor store nearby, and the bar ran out of my favourite alcohol. They only have all the weak ones left, the alcohol for the weaklings who can't hold their drink. I came out so that I could get more alcohol for myself. And I just wanted to take the long way there. Do you not believe in mere coincidence, Mister Kagamine?''

_Truth or Lie? _Len idly watched a bead of perspiration trickling slowly down the man's forehead. It was cool out today - there was no reason to perspire. The man met his gaze steadily, which wasn't something liars could usually do...but then, the pulse in the man's neck, which Len could feel since he was still clutching on to Gumo's collar, noticeably sped up. _He's lying. A fool could tell that it's all lies._

''If you know who I am, then you should know what I do for a living - since, I assume that like Miss Hatsune, you're far from clean,'' Len shot him a winning smile. ''Most criminals know of my name, though few know exactly what I look like. Consider this a privilege...'' Casually, Len reached into his jacket, pulling out a small semi-automatic gun from a concealed pocket. ''Do you still want to lie to me, Gumo?''

''You wouldn't,'' the green haired man's eyes widened, nervousness starting to spark in his emerald gaze. ''You're part of the government. And the government doesn't condone the killing of anyone, not even the criminals,'' he protested feebly, his hands reaching up to try and loosen Len's grip on his collar. Len's smile turned into something more like a grimace - why did criminals always assume that to be the truth?

''I'm an international spy, Gumo. Our dear government couldn't care less about what I do, so long as I obtain the results that they so require,'' he clicked the gun, undoing the safety clip. Gumo's eyes drifted over to the gun, looking visibly concerned. ''I'm someone with a license to kill. And that license was granted to me by the government itself. It doesn't matter the means, so long as there are results.''

''Even if you kill me, you wouldn't be able to get anything out of me,'' Gumo pointed out, his voice wavering just a little. Len tilted his head, letting the gun tap lightly against Gumo's cheek. The green haired man flinched away from the cold metal barrel. ''And you would be framed for the killing of a civilian. I don't have any known criminal record - and surely your license to kill doesn't extend to mere civilians, does it?''

''Maybe it does,'' though of course it didn't. ''You wouldn't know, would you? Because you'll be dead. Frankly, I don't care about whether you live or die. Nothing matters to me, so long as I manage to complete my job. Do you think that I'll pity you, that I'll spare you just out of the kindness of my heart? Or perhaps you think I fear corporal punishment. Look into my eyes and tell me if you can see any trace of mercy.''

Gumo looked, and he saw nothing but coldness inside the depths of those blue eyes. There was no trace of pity whatsoever - nothing other than an icy cold determination which spoke for the lengths the spy was willing to go to, so long as he succeeded in completing his work. Despite the fact that Len Kagamine was a government spy, and belonged to the side of 'good', his eyes were the same as those of a serial killer.

And Gumo wasn't making a simple, baseless comparison, for he had seen a serial killer before. And the sight of that would haunt him for the rest of his life - cold eyes, unemotional and uncaring. When it came to criminals, the ones who blustered and threatened weren't the ones to fear. It was those with the placid gazes who were truly dangerous...the ones with nothing left to care about. Just like Kagamine.

He knew that Len Kagamine would shoot at the slightest provocation - the blond man wasn't making an empty threat. Quickly, he shook his head, and the spy sighed, his lips curving up into an empty, uncaring smile. That look of placid calm remained, like he was a robot with no feelings whatsoever. So long as his job was completed...and he would destroy anything which would dare to stand in his way.

Gumo felt rather thankful that he was under Miku's watch. All of them were loyal to Miku Hatsune, the younger sister of their now arrested leader. She herself was a criminal genius, and Gumo knew that if there was anyone who would be able to outwit Len Kagamine, it would be his leader. Gumo's eyes flicked away from Kagamine, wondering where SeeU was - _blackmail, _came the reminder.

Perhaps Len was right, and the government had given him the permission to kill anyone who stood in the way of his operations. But then, for anyone who hadn't been listening to their conversation, it would seem as though the spy had just grabbed hold of an innocent civilian, and was now threatening to kill him for no apparent reason whatsoever. That was where SeeU came in - to record this all down.

Without the sound, of course. _''Sure, give him information. Whatever information he wants - I just want him to be seen trying to intimidate a helpless civilian,'' _was what Miku had told him to do. _''So long as you don't make it seem too desperate or obvious. If we can blackmail him...the tables will turn. He will be the one who has to do as I command, no questions asked,'' _Miku had smiled then. Gumo sighed.

He could not deny that his leader was highly intelligent - she knew that the government would never possibly approve of the killing, or threatening, of an innocent. If news of this were to leak out, the spy's career would be adversely affected - and if there was one thing the spy evidently cared for, it was his career. Armed with that knowledge, Miku would be able to casually twist the blond around her finger.

''Fine, I'm tailing you for Miku. Could you let me down now? And don't kill me,'' came the quick reply. Len just set the green haired man down, but grabbed on to his shoulder, preventing him from running away. Len could feel the man tensing at his touch, and he couldn't blame him for that. He had, after all, nearly killed the man. A little fear wasn't something unexpected - in fact, it would be rather healthy for him.

''Tell Miku,'' he breathed, ''that I know exactly what she's up to. She can keep the recording of what had just happened if she wants - but I'll know exactly which strings to pull, to ensure that she won't be able to use it to blackmail me. Trust me, it's not the first time someone has tried this on me, attempting to turn my own employers against me,'' he grinned, ignoring the way the man further stiffened.

'What recording? I don't know what you're talking about,'' Gumo said carelessly. He really was a good actor - almost as excellent as Len himself was. Len would have applauded him for that, were it not for the fact that it took considerably more than that to impress the blond spy. His apathetic manner extended to more than just work - he only wasn't unfeeling when he was required to behave otherwise.

''You're careless. I can see you on the rooftop of that building over there, holding on to a phone, SeeU...no pun intended, of course,'' Len smirked up in the direction of the building SeeU was at. Gumo swallowed, knowing that the blond spy wasn't just bluffing. ''Honestly, I expected more from Miku. Perhaps she isn't as fearful as I would have once thought - her brother was less predictable,'' Len said, rather dismissively.

Miku smiled at those words. Good. He really had underestimated her. They all did - and because of that, this would be the spy's downfall. She slid away from the scene, trotting back in the direction of the nightclub. Len thought that Gumo was a decoy for SeeU - but in truth, both of them were decoys. Decoys for her, so that Len wouldn't know that she was there. And her plan had worked - she was unnoticed.

This was simply no more than a trial, to see how well the spy reacted to pressure, and to see the full extent of his capabilities. It was rather impressive that he had managed to catch SeeU - it came as no surprise that Gumo had been caught, since even an idiot would have known that she would send someone to stalk them, after the bargain they had made. So far, what she had glimpsed was...noteworthy.

But not good enough. Her lips twitched, her teal hair fluttering in the breeze - no one had known that she was there. When Gumo and SeeU came to report their failure, she would reassure them, for in the end she was the one who had managed to triumph. Len underestimated her, the same way he had five years ago. He thought that the sister of Mikuo Hatsune wasn't as skilled as her brother. That she was weak.

She was nothing like her brother. Unlike Mikuo, Miku thirsted for revenge, and she would get it by any means possible. It didn't matter that she found the spy attractive, that she had once thought herself in love with him. He was nothing to her now, nothing more than an annoying insect, just begging to be squashed and killed. Miku detested insects, and Len Kagamine was simply another one to her.

She would eliminate him to get her revenge for throwing her beloved brother in jail. She knew that she had an advantage over him, for he now thought she wasn't good enough to be his match - it was easy to infer all that from his words. And because of that arrogance, she would be able to...surprise him. Not in a pleasant way, of course. Miku had always been very determined to get anything and everything done her way.

And her way would involve the death of one certain Len Kagamine. Clearly, God was blessing her, for giving her this chance to get rid of her brother's arrestor. Even if Mikuo was unable to escape from jail - they hadn't even told her which jail he was currently in - she would be able to eradicate the root of all their troubles. _Len Kagamine. _She cursed his very existence, wishing she had never been such a fool.

Things would be different now. She would not allow his deceptively good looks to distract her again, not this time. This time, she would remain detached and unemotional, and she would only feel when she saw him dead and lifeless. Miku would not rest until her every goal was met - until then, she would keep on working tirelessly, working towards the results she desired. She wouldn't slip up this time.

_There was never any real motive in sending out people to follow you, Len Kagamine. After all, is there anything left about you that I do not know of? Criminals keep heavy tabs on their enemies, spy...and you're one of mine._


	5. Chapter 5

Len exhaled, his blond hair sticking to the back of his neck as he raked his fingers through his fringe, holding it away from his eyes.

Then, with a sharp shake of his head, he went back to his daily routine - physical training, all the way from morning to night. Except, he had to admit that sparring with himself...it got boring, after a while. There were only so many times he could attack a punching bag before he got tired of not having to defend himself.

So, with one final punch, Len turned away from the bag, unconsciously flexing his fingers. They were wrapped in white bandages to protect his hands, and he glanced down at his bandaged fingers - long and slender, they looked more like the fingers of an artist, rather than those of a fighter. Sighing, he unwound the bandages from around each finger - he wasn't going to need them anymore...not for now, at least.

Walking over to the phone, in a corner of the room, he hesitated for a moment before he picked the handset up. Then he dialled a number that was as familiar to him as his own. Three rings later, the other person picked up, and Len let a smile flicker across his lips. ''I need someone to spar with. Are you free?''

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''You know, Len,'' the person he had called had just showed up, dressed in a black tank top and sweatpants, ''I figured you wouldn't be around. Given that you're on a special case right now.''

Len leant back against the wall, using his towel to dab at his face. Drops of perspiration were forming - during the wait, he had decided to attack the punching bag for a little longer. ''Well, I'm just trying to figure out what I have to do, next. Since I was free...'' he shrugged. ''Nothing wrong with wanting to train, right?''

''I suppose,'' his sister shrugged, flipping some of her short blond hair over her shoulder. ''But what's your latest mission about? Haven't they given you enough details to complete this in one shot?'' she stretched, revealing her flat stomach. His sister was easily as fit as he was - it was unsurprising, given that she was part of the Secret Service. Len sighed, shaking his head.

''It's like Farfalla Corrotta, all over again,'' he said bluntly. ''Lie in wait. Lure the big one out. And, when they let down their guard...'' Len snapped his fingers, and the sound echoed throughout the spacious room, ''I get them. This isn't something I can hurry, for now...I didn't manage to see anything suspicious enough to warrant an investigation, at Tentation.''

''Really?'' without warning, his sister stepped forward, her knee coming towards his torso almost faster than the eye could see. Len easily sidestepped though, avoiding the blow, before he returned with one of his own. Rin just carried on talking, like they were simply taking a walk through the park, instead of undergoing intensive training. ''But that's what you enjoy, isn't it? You've always preferred to wait, Len.''

''I know. But it's frustrating me,'' he answered, his arm being blocked by Rin's hand. His sister retaliated, trying to sweep his feet out from under him. He jumped before she could do that. ''I thought that the only ones I'd have to deal with were the French. I didn't expect...Mikuo Hatsune's little sister is there, Rin. She's part of them. I don't know whether she's with the Mafia, but even if she isn't, she's not clean.''

Rin arched an eyebrow, but showed no other sign of emotion, twisting aside before Len could strike her in one of her weak points - at her left elbow. Being her twin, Len knew where all her weak spots were - in this case, it was because Rin had broken her left arm as a child. Even after it recovered, it was never quite as strong as her right arm. ''And that affects you...?''

''Because I used to lust for her,'' came the cool reply, as Len avoided a particularly vicious roundhouse kick. At this, Rin slowed, a startled look entering her bright blue eyes - in one swift motion, Len slipped behind his sister, trapping her left arm behind her back, preventing her from moving. ''I win,'' he announced without preamble, before he released his twin sister.

Rin didn't seem to mind her loss, for once - the blonde gaped at Len, who ran the back of his hand against the side of his face. He was panting a little - Rin was a pretty good sparring partner. Sometimes, she won. Sometimes, he won. Len knew perfectly well that, if he hadn't dropped that little bombshell on his sister, she wouldn't have been so easily defeated by him.

''You? Len? Used to lust for someone?'' his sister sounded incredulous. ''But you're Len Kagamine! You're the one who told me that you would never care for anything, other than your career. What happened to all that?'' Rin placed her hand on her hips, staring intently at him. Len began to fidget. Honestly, the only person who could make him feel...uneasy, was his twin sister.

Rin Kagamine. His older sister by about five minutes. Part of the Secret Service. Both Len and Rin worked under the government, though Rin took a much more lax approach to her job. She was pretty good at what she did - she was a skilled marksman, and she was as good as him when it came to hand-to-hand combat. Unlike him, though, Rin really disliked the secrecy and formality that came with their jobs...

Len couldn't even remember what rank Rin had, in Secret Service. But he knew that she was no mere officer. In fact, the last time he looked, Rin had a fairly high position in her job. Though he simply could not recall which position it was. ''Well,'' he mumbled, ''it was just...it was really stupid, okay? So I didn't want to say anything. I mean, it was just a passing infatuation...''

''Mikuo Hatsune's sister...'' Rin was now musing. ''Miku Hatsune. Oh, yes. She's far from clean. Wasn't she the one who managed to embezzle several billion dollars from government funds, that other time? And she's what, twenty-three. Oh, that was such an embarrassment for the government, I remember,'' Rin smiled gleefully. His sister had a slightly morbid fascination with the criminal world. Not that he knew why.

''Yes. That's her. From what I know, she was never really involved in Farfalla Corrotta...not officially, though I don't know about otherwise. She's as smart as her brother...'' or maybe not. Len still couldn't forget about how she had sent someone he recognised to tail him, from the nightclub. The entire episode pointed to her being ridiculously careless - but he found the whole thing...very suspicious, somehow.

''Is this Miku pretty?'' Rin asked quickly, her expression turning sly. Len blinked, startled by the question - Rin appeared to be far more interested in his love life than he himself was, actually. Perhaps it would have been better if Rin had not sought a job within the Secret Service. He knew that always having to be so...stuffy, strangled his sister's free spirit. ''I'd like to meet this girl. Since she's capable of making my unemotional brother...lust,'' she winked.

''Oh, no. You wouldn't want to meet her at all, trust me,'' Len rolled his eyes disdainfully. ''She's...very pretty,'' he grudgingly admitted, ''but she's a menace. Besides, I said that I _used _to lust after her,'' he added quickly, noticing the fiendish gleam in Rin's eyes. ''It doesn't mean that I still do.'' He glanced at the clock, on the far wall - it was a quarter to one, and that meant...it was going to be lunchtime soon.

Rin followed his gaze. ''Are you cooking lunch today?'' she asked, walking past him and snatching his towel away. Len protested, but those protests went unheeded - Rin proceeded to use his clean towel to wipe off her own perspiration. Well, the towel was fairly clean, since he had barely used it - now, it was all dirty. ''Deal with it,'' his sister said dismissively, tossing the towel to him after she was done.

''I'm cooking lunch, yeah,'' Len ignored his sister's comment, holding the towel gingerly with his fingertips. ''I guess you want to stay around?'' he shot at her, turning away to walk out of the room. Rin just shrugged, smiling, as she followed him. It was a stupid question. Of course she would be staying. Len had only asked that for the sake of asking, as always.

''I want a grilled salmon fillet with parmesan cheese. And cake,'' she bounced up the stairs, out of the basement. Len rolled his eyes again, stifling a smile - it was only around his sister did his business manner disappear, becoming something more warm and friendly. Few people ever saw this side of him - the side that wasn't cold and serious. Rin was one of those few.

His only worry was that she would continue pestering him about this girl. And Len had never been able to keep things from Rin, for long. It was a disadvantage of being twins - no matter how much training he had undergone, Rin was always able to tell when he was lying. And vice-versa. That was why they never asked each other anything about their jobs. Both their jobs required the utmost secrecy, after all.

However, Rin always was asking him questions about his personal life. It wasn't that Len was uncomfortable discussing his lust for Miku - the thing was, that was already _over. _He no longer felt that way about the tealette - at least, he was sure that he didn't - but he feared that if Rin kept pressing him for details about that...what if his old obsession with her returned?

He hated admitting it. He hated recalling that, even though everyone now knew him as an unemotional robot, he had once desired someone. Had once yearned for a girl so badly, his need for her had consumed his entire being, driving him almost insane with lust. He had managed to push those damned memories out of his head, but now that Miku was back...

Now that Hatsune was here in his life again, the memories returned. And they hit him just like a sledgehammer. Memories of how he, as a young, stupid new spy, couldn't help feeling attracted to the loveliest girl he had ever seen. She was only eighteen at that time, when he first saw her. But he had wanted to do things to her...introduce her to a world that someone of her innocence could never have known about.

Was she still as innocent as she was five years ago, when he first saw her? Or was she different now? The boldness which she had regarded him with said that yes, she was no longer the innocent Miku Hatsune of old - but strangely, even that maturity appealed to him. There was a vixen-like sexuality about her now, and it made him wonder how many lovers she had taken since he arrested her brother.

Not that he was jealous, or anything like that. He just wanted to know. Len realised that he was gripping the doorknob, so tightly that his already pale knuckles had turned white. At once, he released the brass doorknob, his eyes widening as he looked down at his hand. What was wrong with him? He never had acted this way before. He never lost his calm. He never lost his rationality. He was...he was Len.

Len Kagamine. Top spy. Efficient, cold, cunning. And damn it if he was going to allow a mere girl affect him like that. Making him think of stupid things he normally wouldn't even acknowledge. He sighed, raking his fingers through his hair - Len was thankful that his sister wasn't here. If she was, she would know that something was wrong with him. And Len didn't want to admit that Miku Hatsune still affected him. In a way.

_Because she's different now. If she still was young and innocent, I don't think I would have cared. I got over that a long time ago. Now...it's different now. And I'm getting worried. But I can't let that worry show..._Len opened the basement door, looking back down into his training zone. It was where he kept himself fit, and made sure that he was always ready for physical confrontation. Any time. Anywhere.

Physical confrontation of any sort..._get your mind out of the gutter, dammit. _It had been too long since he last got laid. Len slammed the door shut with a little more force than what was necessary, getting irritated with himself. And with the tealette running rampant through his thoughts. His confusion, his lack of surety, it could all be blamed on this vixen, he knew.

_Why won't she just leave me alone? Ever since I ran into her last night, at Tentation...she has been occupying my every thought. I hate it. _His eyes narrowed, his fingers drumming against the basement door - he was going to have to meet up with her tonight. He did tell her to keep her day free, after all. And he wanted to get what he had promised her out of the way.

Securing visits to her brother...he knew she would want that. He was dangling a carrot right before her, and frankly, he wondered why she didn't seem as interested in visiting Mikuo Hatsune as he thought she would be. That had been the first thing he had thought of, to get her to agree to help him. Because the bonds of family ran deep within the criminal world, especially within criminal families like theirs.

The Hatsunes. Notorious for their involvement in the world of crime. They were the kings of the Underworld, leaders in all manner of vice. _The Underworld is tempting, you know. For spies. Because, when you have to interact with criminals as much as we do, it's difficult not to see from their point of view. You know you're truly lost when you're no longer able to tell black from white. When everything you see is grey. Grey, grey...nothing but murky grey._

The words of his old superior rang through his head. The man had been a talented spy, one who had insisted on being allowed on the field despite his rank and office. Until he had gotten himself killed in a spike operation - someone had blown up the underground headquarters of the Kagene Clan. Everyone who had been inside the place died immediately. There were no survivors...at least, none that Len knew of.

It just highlighted the dangers of his job. He knew that, at any time, on any day, he might die. And Len accepted that. He didn't fear death - after all...people never feared death. What people feared was the unknown. What would come after their demise. Len didn't fear that unknown either, though. Perhaps that was why he relished this job so much? Because the thrill of almost dying was sinfully addictive.

_Good people. Bad people. Who defines that? Who defines who is who? The world isn't simply cut into black and white...it's possible for a good person to murder, and for an evil person to save someone. What defines who you are is your motives for doing such a thing. _Was Miku Hatsune good or evil? He couldn't say. After all, she hadn't really hurt him...yet.

Was he good or evil? He had killed before, but in his line of work, that was almost necessary. Did that make him bad, though? He was working on the side of good, after all. Len shook his head, making his way to the kitchen - he knew Rin was waiting for her lunch. And he didn't want to take too long to prepare her meal, lest his twin sister decided to have his head on a platter.

To his horror - not that he let the horror show on his face - Rin was in the kitchen, a sly smirk curving her lips as she watched him enter the kitchen. ''I decided we could talk while you made lunch,'' she said jovially, leaning over the kitchen counter. Len arched an eyebrow, opening the fridge to see what was inside. Seeing a salmon fillet, he took that out, placing it in the sink as he prepared to wash it.

''Your presence is a great inconvenience to me. Shoo,'' he said bluntly. Rin just rolled her eyes, watching him wash the fish in the sink. Len always cooked whatever it was his sister wanted to eat - it was payment, of sorts. In exchange for making her come all the way here. Rin's house was not anywhere near his own - in fact, she lived at the other side of town.

''So, tell me about this Miku girl. How long did you like her for?'' Rin started questioning him. Len remained silent for a while, but he knew he couldn't keep staying quiet - Rin would squeeze the answer out of him, eventually. It was just less painful if he told her what she wanted to know now, instead of waiting for her to become impatient. Because an impatient Rin was never a pretty sight to behold. Softly, he sighed.

''When I first started out in my career. I was told to infiltrate Farfalla Corrotta, remember? And I saw her there. She...I don't know. She was pretty, that's all there is to it,'' Len finished washing the fish fillet, tossing the slab of meat into a frying pan. He knew that Rin wanted him to grill the fish, but he decided that he just didn't have the patience to grill today. Grilling meat was a very long and tedious process.

''You never made any move?'' Rin's voice was filled with incredulity. Len dripped a few drops of cooking oil into the pan, turning the heat of the stove up. Grabbing a spatula from its hook, Len began to fry the fish, hearing the crackling and popping sounds the fish made as it fried.

''No,'' he replied. ''Why should I? I just wanted her on a physical level. Doesn't mean that I was in love with her, or anything like that,'' he flipped the salmon fillet over. The skin of the fish was starting to become brownish already. ''Just because I wanted her doesn't mean anything, you know,'' he added, before his sister could say anything else. There was silence.

''But it's a start,'' Rin finally piped up, sounding satisfied. ''I mean, you're not asexual. You can't just stay like this forever, you know,'' she said enthusiastically. ''Even though she's the sister of an enemy of the government and whatnot...who knows? Maybe the reason why you think you don't love people is because you love her?''

''No, I don't,'' Len snapped. ''I do not love this girl. I wanted her once. I don't lust for her anymore. I do not love, I've never loved, I will never love,'' he stabbed the fish with his spatula, using a little more force than what was required. The fish broke into two, but he chose to ignore that. ''Stop asking me questions about Miku Hatsune, Rin, or I swear that I will spit on the fish that I'm currently cooking for you.''

''You wouldn't dare,'' his sister hissed. ''Anyway, I've heard enough. You're in love with her, Len. I've never heard you speak about someone so...vehemently before. Usually, you're all like, 'I'm cold and unfeeling, and I don't give a damn about what you think of me'. This girl...she's different for you, isn't she?'' Rin's voice turned sly. ''I mean, you just went off on that rant about how you're not going to love and all.''

''Because it's all true,'' he retorted, seeing the deep pink hue of the raw salmon become lighter. ''I'm the best spy the country has. I'm not going to get involved with the sister of an enemy of state. No matter how pretty or sexy she is. You know how good I am at keeping my emotions separate from work, Rin,'' he said that coolly, knowing she couldn't possibly deny that. There was an answering sigh, and a chuckle.

''Well, your love life isn't exactly your work life, is it?'' Rin teased. ''If you lust after her, I don't think that's considered part of your _work life _anymore, Len. And the fact that you can keep your emotions separate from your job is even better. That means now, even though she's not someone you're technically allowed to get close to...you can still lust for her freely, anyway.''

''I am going to spit onto this fish, right now,'' Len dead-panned, flipping the fish over again. Rin immediately rushed over to him, to make sure that he didn't do what he had threatened to do. Len shot her a smirk, and Rin pouted, punching him on the shoulder. Len winced in mock pain, and she laughed at him, knowing that he was just acting. It almost brought a smile to his face, but he hid that from Rin.

Really, his sister got under his skin on a regular basis, but he didn't think he could live without her. ''Plate?'' he asked. Rin passed one to him, and deftly, he slid the two pieces of salmon onto the plate, setting the dish down onto the kitchen counter. Rin followed the plate, drool practically coming out of her mouth as she eyed the dish. Rin's favourite food was oranges. But her favourite seafood would be salmon.

''Okay, okay. I'll stop tormenting you about Miku for now,'' she announced, as Len walked over, sprinkling cheese all over the fish - one thing he would never be able to understand was his sister's strange insistence that all her food had to be coated with cheese. ''But you can't keep running away from the topic, Len! I finally hear that my little brother, the apathetic buffoon who claims to love none, has once lusted for a girl! I must get to the bottom of this,'' she decided.

Len sighed. ''Good luck with that,'' he tilted his head, watching his sister as she dug enthusiastically into the salmon. One would think that she hadn't eaten for a week, given the way she tore the fish apart. Like a starving man, desperate for the tiniest little morsel of food. Rin had a voracious appetite - to be honest, Len thought that she ate even more than he did. Despite her being a girl.

''Hey, this Hatsune...you said that she's linked to your current case somehow, right?'' Rin said thickly, her mouth filled with salmon. Len glanced down, startled, before he slowly nodded. Rin swallowed, patting daintily at her lips - before she continued shovelling fish into the cavern that was her mouth. ''Well, I'm going to bet that you'll fall for her within a week. If she's involved, you're going to see her. A lot.''

Len coughed. ''I disagree with that. Yes, I'll probably be seeing her a lot, but that doesn't mean anything...I've already said before, Rin. I _used _to lust after her. Doesn't mean that I still do, and it sure as hell doesn't indicate that I'm in love with her or anything. Get that into your amazingly thick skull,'' Rin just shot him a knowing look at that, not even bothering to grace his answer with a verbal reply.

Before he could go on, Len felt his phone vibrate - he had taken his phone from his room, on the way to the kitchen. Irritated, he whipped the offending device out from his pocket - he had received a message. From an unknown number. Curiosity taking the place of annoyance, he opened the message, his eyes scanning the contents at lightning speed. As he read, he frowned, his forehead creasing a little.

_You told me to keep my day free. Well, I'm doing precisely that. I'm performing tonight, though, so I'd advise you to come to Tentation in the afternoon...I might be too tired after my performance tonight to pay attention to your words. And you wouldn't want that, right?_

How had she gotten his number? Well, that didn't matter. All he knew was, he ought to get to the nightclub. Clearly, Miku was telling him to meet her now, and he wouldn't want to stand the beautiful girl up...his lips curved into a smile as he slipped the phone back into his pocket. Rin noticed. ''Why, what's up? Miku sent you a text, telling you that she wants to go out on a date or something?'' his sister asked blithely.

She had no idea how right she was. Though it wasn't exactly a date. Len chose not to reply, however. ''I need to go. Wash up when you're done. If you leave my house a mess, like the last time...'' he whipped around, giving her a wicked grin, ''I will hunt you down.'' With that, he dashed out of the kitchen, eager to meet up with the beautiful tealette. There was a great deal he had to settle with her, he knew.

Not because he was interested in her that way, of course. She was nothing but a business contact, someone he was using so that he could succeed in his current objective. Even though she was most certainly no hardship to look at. Still...he was going to have to tell her all about his mission, and why he was trying to probe into Tentation. What he was meant to do. He had no time to focus on her attractiveness.

It all boiled down to his job. No matter what, his career would always come first.

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_**Solitaryloner: **__Yeah, I know. I totally sound like I'm just rambling, with no idea what I'm talking about. I know. This story doesn't actually have very much planning involved. I know how I want them to end up, but the process of getting to the end is...hard._

_Anyway, the next chapter should have more direction. And focus. I don't even know what's the point of this chapter. Take this as a filler._

_Reviews? I don't think this story is as popular as my other stories, but I really hope that it can get a few more reviews, at least._


	6. Chapter 6

This time, when Len attempted to enter the infamous nightclub, he was met with little resistance – all the bouncer did was to check his ID, before stepping aside and allowing him in. Even in the afternoon, there was a long queue outside the place, and as he stepped past the two bouncers, he could hear the desperate cries of people, claiming that they knew him in a futile bid to get into the place. Unbidden, a faint smirk flickered across his face.

Miku must have done something to enable him access – after all, she was the one who had invited him here, who had initiated contact this time. The smirk on his face turned into something more like a lazy scowl – how had she known what his number was? His personal number…true, the first time he had entered Tentation, he was required to write down his mobile number – but the number he had provided was his work number. Not his personal one.

_I should find out what her methods are…I can't afford to let her find out any more of my secrets. _He shook his head slightly, his eyes adjusting to the sudden dimness he encountered – the familiar atmosphere of darkness and cheap alcohol swirled around him, and his teeth gritted. If he could, he would get out of here as soon as he could – unfortunately, he had business to attend to. So he wouldn't leave until he had done whatever it was that he had to do; namely, talk to the girl…about matters. He had some research of his own to work on.

His gaze drifted across the nightclub, seeking out Hatsune – his eyes fixed upon distinct teal hair, and his lips tilted up into another smirk. There she was, sitting right before the stage, an expression of distinct boredom on her face. She was wearing an off-shoulder black mini-dress, exposing much of her legs and shoulders. In her hand, she held a glass of amber wine, her eyes narrowed upon the empty seat opposite hers. He knew that she was expecting him – he wouldn't be surprised if she knew he was already inside the nightclub.

Quietly, carefully, he weaved his way through the throng of people, approaching her from behind so that he could keep the advantage of surprise…if such an advantage still existed, that was. She reclined back in her plush velvet chair, swirling the glass around – slowly, she raised the glass to her lips, tipping it back. He watched as she swallowed, her smooth, pale neck exposed; he was struck by the urge to reach out and touch that soft skin, let his fingers drape around the smooth, swanlike column – to wonder how it would feel like against his –

"You've been staring for a while. Why don't you take a seat…?" a cool voice jolted him out of his reverie, and Len blinked, mentally cursing himself. The sister of Mikuo Hatsune had turned around, her teal hair falling over one bare shoulder, her narrowed green eyes regarding him coolly. _I let myself get distracted too easily…I can't afford to let such a thing happen again. _Without bothering to grace her offer with a response, he sat himself down opposite her, picking up the other glass of wine that lay upon the table between them – he cradled the glass in his hand, but did not lift the glass to his lips. She noticed that, and she smiled a little.

"A wary one, aren't you?" she asked, voice neutral. "You don't have to drink from that glass if you don't want to – though, I must say, if I had wanted to kill you I could have done it a long time ago," amusement glimmered in her green eyes, and he was once again reminded that she was once a part of _Farfalla Corrotta _– there was no telling what kind of connections she still possessed. It was entirely possible for her to carry out her threat, and he could not afford to underestimate her since he knew so little about her…no matter how careless she had been, before. There was so much about Miku Hatsune now which he did not know…

"You sound remarkably confident for someone whose head of family is rotting away in a cell," he finally responded, setting the still-full glass down upon the table. He noticed her stiffen, and couldn't help the satisfied smile which flitted across his lips – it was rather encouraging to see someone so poised, so confident and elegant, flinch the way she did just now. For that showed she still had her weak points, despite her seeming arrogance, and so long as he managed to manipulate those weak points enough, he would easily be able to control her. "How long has it been since you last saw your brother, hm?" he asked, letting curiosity seep into his voice – a mere pretence, since he knew perfectly well how long.

"As if you don't already know," he expected the answer, and he expected the scathing tone with which she delivered her reply. _Indeed…it's been a while, hasn't it, Miku? Not that long, if you think about it from the point of view of a bystander…but when he's going to be locked away for the rest of his life…two years already seem to be a remarkably long time, doesn't it?_ She just stared at him, her lips pursing slightly – he couldn't help looking at her lips, and wondering briefly, just a little, how those lips would feel like against his. Abruptly, he jerked back in his seat; he didn't want to think about that – _wasn't supposed to think about that._

She noticed, and her eyes narrowed slightly, expression inquisitive. "But that is beside the point, spy," she finally said, tone dismissive. "We are not here for a pleasant chat about the state of our lives, no matter how friendly you try to seem. We both know you are here for business, as am I. So perhaps it is best that we get this over and done with, especially since we are not friends, you and I," she tilted her head to one side, letting one slender, delicate finger circle the edge of her glass. He chose to remain silent for a while, letting her grow curious about what he might possibly say next. He had to choose his words carefully.

_If she is part of their organisation…if she is not…_ "Well, I have already laid out the terms of our deal, yesterday," he decided to start with a little reminder. "You are supposed to provide me with whatever information I might require from you, so long as it does not betray the promises you make to whatever criminals are involved. However, you are allowed to deny my request or refuse to answer my questions, for a maximum for three times. I am also forbidden from requesting any sexual favours from you…finally, you will be allowed to visit your brother as regularly as the jail may permit you to," his eyes met hers. She was listening closely, a faint frown creasing her forehead. "Is that acceptable to you?"

After a long moment, she finally nodded. "Yes. I hear, and I understand," her voice was thick with sarcasm. "Would you like us to sign a contract, spy?" she said slowly, amusement flitting across her lovely features. "In ink…or perhaps even in our own blood, to make it a binding contract?" Len didn't know whether he should laugh or scowl at her words. He had to admit that he found it a little humorous, but he didn't want to allow her the satisfaction of knowing her comment had affected him – so, in the end, he just adopted a look of severity.

"A contract, perhaps, just to ensure that you keep to your side of the bargain," he drawled. "Though I must say that I consider our verbal agreement contract enough, I am certain you would consider such a deal void," suddenly, he smirked, his eyelids lowering a little. "In the event you break your deal," he started, voice honeyed, "I will come up with some form of punishment," he noticed her open her mouth, ready to protest, and he cut her off. "No, there is no argument there. You came up with more than one term of your own – all I asked of you was that you answered my questions. I feel that it is only fair for me to come up with a way to make you suffer as well," he laced his fingers together, propping them underneath his chin.

She gritted her teeth, but leant back in her seat, tipping some more of her whiskey into her mouth. "Well? Carry on," she said carelessly, after a few moments of tense silence. Len just shook his head and continued smiling – a contented, infuriating smile which he knew would irritate her to no end. Her eyebrow arched, but she didn't react in any other way; he found that strangely disappointed him. "Oh, you're seeking to leave me in suspense, aren't you?" she said dryly, rolling her eyes in disdain. "It would take more than that to unnerve me, spy."

He shook his head. "No, not to leave you in suspense," his smirk widened slightly, "I just think that it would be better to come up with a punishment at the moment of transgression. So that you can be disciplined in a way to suit your mistake…" his voice trailed off, and he cocked his head, mirroring her earlier action. Miku swallowed, not liking the gleam in his cerulean eyes. She got the strange feeling that he was getting more than he had bargained for, but she didn't quite know what he could desire – _he is a fool if he thinks I would openly make a mistake before him _– so she just shrugged and nodded. He arched an eyebrow at her.

_Infuriating man. _But she didn't allow her frustration to show on her face. It was best to look calm and controlled at all times, she knew that. He extended a hand for her to shake, and most reluctantly, she reached out and grasped his hand with her own. His grip was warm and surprisingly firm – she tried not to think about the fact that he was touching her – and swiftly, after the handshake, she withdrew. "So now, since we have settled that particular part of our yesterday conversation, what is it that you seek from me?" she reached up, brushing a stray strand of her teal hair behind her ear. She noticed his gaze following her hand, and she smiled.

_It seems that even he is not immune to physical beauty or elegance. _She was not bragging about her beauty or her grace – she knew she was both, to be a successful striptease one had to possess both of these physical traits – and her beauty had helped her out of many a tricky situation before. "I have just one question for you…" the blond haired spy leant back in his chair, causally crossing his legs – she looked away from him, not liking the way he seemed so comfortable around her, as though he didn't fear her in the slightest. _Does my reputation not precede that of my brother's, by this point? He seems to think of me as harmless…_

_But no matter. That was my intention in seeming so careless yesterday, after all. So that he would let down his guard and assume me too weak, too foolish, too inexperienced to play the same games my elder brother once did. _She reassured herself with those words, placing her emotions back into calm. She did not like it when she was in turmoil, when she was not peaceful and thoughtful. "What, you're testing out our deal so quickly?" she asked blithely, reaching out to study her fingernails, putting up an apparent show of disinterest. She knew that her façade affected him a little – his lips tensed, and his eyes narrowed almost negligibly. Her disinterest was just a show, though – in truth, she was extremely aware of him and his every word, and she was extremely curious about what he wanted to ask of her.

"I'm just a little curious," he finally said, his blue eyes drifting away from her, in the direction of the empty stage. She took that moment to study him – to realise that, even in the few years she had not seen him, he had changed. Not noticeably, that was certain; but there was a strange hardness, almost coldness, to his features that had not been present three years ago. He was so handsome that it bordered on frustrating – to have a man so beautiful, so stoic and seemingly unemotional, determined to pry her knowledge out from her. She still wondered whether it was a good idea to agree to his bargain, but she could not see anything wrong with their agreement…and, truth be told, she missed her elder brother a great deal.

_This bargain would be highly beneficial to him if he can be sure that I will always tell the truth. And he can't be certain of that, can he? _She smiled at the thought. At that moment, the spy looked back at her, and she let the smile flit off her face. "How did you know what my number was?" the way the words were said made him sound like he could hardly be bothered about the answer; but she knew that he was as eager to hear her reply as she was to tell him. This time, the satisfied smirk on her face lingered, and she saw something almost like anger flicker through his slanted blue eyes. The emotion was gone in a second, and she could not be sure if she had imagined the look in his expression or not. His face was impassive.

"I must confess that I am quite an ardent fan of yours, and I know a great many things about you," the words dripped with sarcasm, and she let her hand flutter to her chest, putting on an expression of fervent longing. "How could anyone not wish to find out everything about the perfect Len Kagamine? I can't recall ever glimpsing another man who could come anywhere near your beauty," her lips curled upwards. It was not a smile, though from afar it could pass for one. He remained unfazed, though a faint smirk of amusement hovered on the edges of his lips. She wondered if that was because he was entertained by the sarcasm of her words, or if he really did agree with what she was saying. _If it's the latter, then he is rather arrogant._

"Let us not fool around," he answered her, his voice honeyed – so smooth and sweet that it made her feel sick. "We both know that you don't feel that way at all about me; why don't you just tell me how you found out? I didn't leave my real number with the nightclub," he tilted his head, watching her intently. Miku let out a quiet sigh, a small frown creasing her forehead, giving the impression of careful consideration – when, to tell the truth, she was finding it difficult to resist blurting the whole thing out to him. It was a flaw, she supposed, that both she and her brother shared; the urge to gloat about all their conquests, the cleverness with which they solved all their problems. Gloating…hubris would always be their downfall.

"I don't know if I should tell you," she murmured, running her fingers through her hair once again, noticing how his gaze followed the motion of her fingers. "After all, it's my secret, and if I tell you, won't I lose my advantage?" This was interesting. She would see if there was any way for him to make sure that she kept to her promise…what could he do to her, if she didn't want to tell him anything? Or if she happened to lie? How would he know, and what would he do to her as a result of her untruths…she was so _curious _about him, interested in what the spy might do to her. He was someone who worked for the government, and turned all the criminals in; yet, he spent so much time in the criminal world that perhaps he was no longer as pure as he was meant to be. Who knew? Not her. She hadn't seen him in a while.

He shrugged, his blue eyes suddenly dimming – it made her frown at the look of disinterest which flitted across his face. "True, I don't have any way to tell whether you're lying," he said as blithely as she did, "but I'm sure that you'd tell me eventually…" a slow smirk crossed his lips. She paused, rather startled by what he said – _what makes him so certain of that? _His confidence got to her, though she hated to admit such a thing. "It's just a matter of when, and how. You're a smart girl, I admit that, but even the smartest person in the world has their flaws, you know? How else do you think people like me get their jobs done?"

_Pride. _It was an abrupt, sudden realisation, but she managed to get that one word out of everything he was saying. _Pride. _If it wasn't for arrogance and hubris…her eyes narrowed slightly. What, was this meant to be a hint of some sort? "Keep thinking that way, then," she said abruptly. "No matter what you think, you won't be able to tell what is the truth, and what is a lie. Not from me. If you think you can read me, you are welcome to try; even so, spy, there are so many things I can find out about you, and you don't even know." The last part did not sound as threatening as she had hoped it would be. His smirk became an outright grin.

"Whatever you say," he sounded patronising. She wished she could just lunge over and slit his neck at that very moment, with the small comb-knife she was wearing in her hair. But, if she were to do such a thing, she would lose her only hope at present of ever contacting her brother; and anyway, to murder someone in such a public area was tantamount to a death sentence. There were too many witnesses around…no, much better for her to stay her hand, and pretend that she wasn't affected at all by what he was saying.

His question…how had she gotten his number? It was actually ridiculously simple – all she had done was hack into the government system. Again. She had done it once, and she could do it again, no matter how many times the technicians tried to prevent people from entering their system – because she was one of the people who had _designed _the software the government's database ran on. She had left a back door especially for herself; one of her acquaintances worked for the government, and he had asked for her help with the programming since he was busy with other matters at the time. She agreed.

By making a subtle change to the coding of the virus guard software, she was able to access the government database as and when she wanted, simply by coding in a certain passcode which was specific to her. Her presence in the digital archives was undetected and unnoticed; because of this little backdoor, she was always one step ahead of the country and its so-called _democratic _Parliament. What they called democracy was little more than a farce; how could there be any true democracy in a country where bribery and corruption thrived, behind closed doors? The spies of the government didn't just spy on their enemies – they collected intel on the citizens of this country as well. Every phone call, every email, everything.

She chose not to interfere with their information tracking, because to do so would no doubt alert the technicians to the presence of a hacker in their midst. Instead, she looked at the profiles of the spies which were currently registered under the government's payroll – who else did she see but a certain Len Kagamine? And, conveniently – she had to wonder if the spy had voluntarily given the government all his information, or if they had obtained his details through other, more subtle means – his personal number and home address all were listed down in the profile, as well. She made a mental note of both, and retrieved a soft copy of the spy's personal information. _If I have to deal with him, at least I am not in the dark._

"Why did you ask me to meet you, anyway?" his smooth voice jolted her out of her thoughts. She glanced up at him – he was looking at her, his legs crossed, his elbow on the arm of the chair, his fist propped against his cheek. "After all, this time you were the one who initiated contact, not I," he continued in that same smooth, honeyed voice. She paused, considering – it was true that she was the one who asked to meet him, but she wasn't sure if she should reveal her reasons for doing so just yet. There were still too many things about him that she could not be certain of; he was still an anomaly, to her. And she was not fond of anomalies.

She decided to give him the simplest, basest reason for her being willing to initiate contact this time. "You did say that you would want to meet me again, as soon as possible, to start working on…whatever it is you need help with, no?" she watched him. He looked back at her, his expression neutral, not allowing her to read a single thing off his face. "So I contacted you, instead of vice-versa, so that we can meet – at _my _timing, on _my _turf. Instead of letting you decide everything, of course," she smiled, then leant forward, picking up a handful of peanuts from the crystal bowl on the table between them. "Want one?" she offered.

He shook his head. "So contacting me was for nothing more than to give you a sense of security, then. Since you wanted to control your surroundings…"a faint smile flitted across his lips, and he finally took a sip from the glass of wine in his hand. "Does that mean you fear me a little, dear Hatsune?" he peered at her from above the rim of the glass. She gritted her teeth – if he wanted to assume that – ah, but she already _knew _he would assume such a thing. He was, after all, exceedingly arrogant. Perhaps almost as cocky as she was, and that was saying something. They were similar in that they were both people who had allowed their success to get to their heads, and they both understood and accepted the risks of allowing that to happen.

"If you think that I have any reason to fear you, then you are welcome to say such a thing," her words came out a little more sharply than she had intended. She tried to control the amount of venom in her words; she did not want him to correctly assume that she bore him far more ill will than she was trying to let on. _The more he thinks I hold a grudge against him, the less likely he will ever let something slip. I don't know what his objective is, and until I can find out, I am going to do my best to weasel every single bit of information out of him, be it important or not. I cannot afford to slip up around the man who arrested my elder brother._

"Someone seems to be a little defensive today," was the expected, silky croon. She bit her lower lip, so hard that she thought she drew blood. He was pushing her to her limits, and she wondered why – in her line of work, it was common to come across men like him. Cocky, infuriating bastards who thought that by using their money, their charm and their looks, she would fall into their arms, swooning and infatuated; so long as they could get into her pants, they were willing to do anything. They were worse than the scum of her world, even – they had absolutely no scruples. All they wanted was bodily pleasure. Lust and sex.

Truly, when it came to sinning, she thought that lust was by far worse than theft. She was a criminal. She dealt with smuggling and drugs and all manner of vice; but if there was one thing she had never touched before, would _never _touch, it was prostitution. Not only because she was a woman as well, and the thought of it unnerved her – she didn't think that men should be allowed to fulfil their carnal desires so easily. As if they were not already big-headed enough, thinking that with money they could buy over the affections of women. She was not a criminal of the conventional sense; money was not her driving motive. She was a criminal only because her whole family was that way, and she knew little else.

Anyway, she didn't particularly hate her life or her status as the head of _Farfalla Corrotta. _She was just a little bored of doing the same thing all the time; ever since her brother was arrested and most people thought that their organisation had been disbanded, few officials ever kept their eye on their movements anymore. Maybe that would be a blessing to other criminal groups, but not to her and _Farfalla Corrotta _– they lived for the thrill of almost being caught, of outwitting the government at the very last moment. Things were settling down, getting boring; sedate, even. And she was not used to such a peaceful life.

Perhaps that was one factor which led to her agreeing to the spy's bargain; after all, no matter what happened, no matter what the outcome would be, no doubt it would be far more interesting than just lying here and rotting away, doing the typical things that brought her immense wealth but little satisfaction. She was not entirely sure what she was searching for in life – unlike her brother, who craved riches and power, she did not seek for these manner of things. All she wanted was a comfortable lifestyle. The things she sought for…no, she wanted excitement, something to spice her life up, make it more unpredictable.

Which was one of the main reasons why she was a stripper here, in this club. Other than the fact that she wanted to thank the French group for taking her in at her lowest point – right after her brother was caught – she also yearned for the thrill of being lusted after. She didn't like lust, she didn't like sex – she was still a virgin at the age of twenty-one – but she adored making men want her, then rejecting them so brutally that they would fear ever desiring another woman. She loved to watch their faces fall as they realised she could not be bought over with money; she especially loved it when the more hostile ones tried to take her by force, and she would be able to throw them off with little effort. As a child, her older brother had trained her well in self-defence, and she could easily hold her own.

"Far from defensive," she finally replied the spy's comment, a tight-lipped smile on her face. "I am just simply wondering why you would ask such a _stupid _question," the word was emphasised, a slow smirk curving her lips. He, however, remained unaffected by her spiteful tone, and that made her a little curious about him – he must have thicker skin than she had originally thought. "You did mention that you had other things to discuss, the other time," she gestured to him using the hand carrying her glass. "Speak before I lose my interest."

He tilted his head, seemingly deciding whether or not he ought to say anything; his blue eyes met hers, and they were filled with a sly knowingness that made her fingers curl around the edge of her velvet seat. _Irritating man. _"I wonder how much I ought to tell you at this point," he said, voice honeyed. "Your request for a meeting was highly unexpected – I must confess that I am not entirely prepared for a full-length talk with you, at this moment. After all, you have yet to give me any reason to trust you. Ah," he raised a finger when she parted her lips, clearly about to protest. "I know that I am the one who requested a deal with you. Clearly, I need your help more than you need mine; but I know when I've interested someone," his eyes narrowed, the glacial blue keeping her rooted to her seat. "You're hooked," he whispered, voice barely audible over the music of the club. "And you know it. I can afford to wait."

It was true, but she wasn't going to admit that now, was she? "And what makes you think I won't just up and run away?" she challenged. "You might want to punish me. You might want to take revenge upon me for breaking our deal and running away; but what makes you so sure you would be able to find me? I have remained hidden for three years, despite living right in the same city my brother was captured in. No government official has ever managed to stumble across me, living in this seedy place as it was. I could easily disappear, fade away from the radar, and you _know _it. In fact, I could leave right now," she reached out, placing her half-full glass of wine on the table, hiding a small smirk from the blond-haired spy.

Suddenly, she felt pressure on her wrist – she looked up, eyes widening. Len Kagamine was gripping her wrist, so tightly that it actually hurt a little. His blue eyes were still frosty, and she could not look away; she had never ceased finding him handsome, and those eyes penetrated her almost as much as her brother's did. It made her slightly uncomfortable. "If you think you can run away from me, Miku Hatsune," the spy whispered, "then keep in mind that you will be very, very sorry when I inevitably track you down. You might have your ways of obtaining information; what is to say that I do not have my own? After all, I am almost a separate entity from the government spies. I am a part of them, but at the same time I am not. We both know I'm different. So you really ought to keep that in mind…don't you?"

For once, she was not entirely sure what to say, her lips remaining slightly parted in surprise. His eyes drifted to those lips – she was sure she did not mistake the heat that flashed momentarily through his gaze – and then he leant forward, so close that their breaths were mingling. She thought he might kiss her, and she didn't know how she would react if he did such a thing. Would she push him away? _Or would I kiss him back? _"You're strange," he said softly, voice almost a murmur. "I'm not entirely sure what you're thinking, and I must say that frustrates me a little; but so long as you cooperate with me, and I get my job over and done with as soon as I can, I can leave your life and we can pretend we never met each other," he exhaled, and she shivered slightly. His breath was cool. "As I am certain you wish for."

Before she could say anything, the grip on her wrist disappeared, and the blond spy rose from his seat, turning around and leaving the nightclub. She remained where she was, staring at his back as he wove through the crowd, her arm still in the same position where he had kept it earlier. _He didn't kiss me…_an unwanted, but not entirely unexpected, flutter of disappointment went through her. Then she gritted her teeth. "No matter," she whispered to herself, "it's not like you wanted his filthy lips upon yours, anyway. Uttering all those lies and false promises…" she coughed to herself, her fingers rubbing absently at the skin he had touched. The skin there was reddish – she wondered if he would leave a bruise.

_Get my job over and done with…leave your life and we can pretend we never met each other. _He thought she wanted such a thing. She knew she did, yet at the same time she did not. How could she want her brother's arrestor out of her life before she had dealt her revenge upon him? Yet, as she raised her fingers to her lips, feeling her cheeks, feeling where his cool breath had brushed lightly against her skin…_no, don't be a sentimental fool, _she suddenly scolded herself, shaking her head sharply. _The time you spent being intrigued by him in the past were wasted years. You are older now, and you know better than to dally with someone like _him. Satisfied, she leant back in her chair. "No, Kagamine…I think I do want you in my life. For as long as you would be willing to stay in there…and, if my assumptions don't do me wrong, you _want _to stay." She studied her fingernails carelessly, thinking about it.

The heat in those normally frosty blue eyes. He wanted her, and she knew it – but he did not know that she was once interested in him, was _ever _interested in him. So her knowing about his lust for her was an advantage of sorts. She wondered how she could use this against him; how she could destroy him through his want for her. She wanted him to beg and suffer. She wanted him to regret ever dealing with her family, with her brother, with their reputation.

He might have had the last word earlier. But she would make sure that she had the last laugh.


End file.
